Gangster
by Archer Darke
Summary: Jane Rizzoli is your average Homicide Detective, always ready to fight the good fight and protect the weak. Maura Doyle is a not-so-average daughter of a mobster, embroiled in her father's nefarious businesses and criminal life. Sparks fly when the two meet, but can they really hold something together from opposite sides of the fence? Rated M for sexual content and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Jane Rizzoli strode into the Boston Children's hospital with a heavy heart, her partner, Barry Frost on her tail. As Boston's finest homicide Detectives, they had seen a lot of death, some much more horrific than others, but all were equally tragic. None more so than a child's death, however, and it was that which had brought them to the busy wards of this hospital at three in the morning.

Jane stopped at the reception desk in the crowded waiting room, where a harried nurse was checking forms and typing so fast her hands were a blur on the keyboard.

"Excuse me," Jane started, "I'm Detective Rizzoli and this is my partner, Detective Frost. Somebody called us about a child, Jonathan Craig?"

The woman nodded and then just as quickly shook her head. "Its so terrible, what happened to the boy. He was only nine years old, he had so much life ahead of him."

Jane nodded in agreement. "Could you tell us where we can find him, and who made the call?" She prompted.

"In the morgue, dear. The pathologist is with him, she's the one who made the call."

"Thank you." Jane gave a friendly half smile before turning to leave the waiting area. She followed the signs directing her to the morgue, which she soon found was in the basement of the building. Several flights of stairs later, she and Frost emerged into a clinical area which seemed to be deserted, with only the odd whirr and burr of several machines permeating the silence.

"Hello?" Jane called out whilst her brown eyes scanned the room, searching for life.

"Over here," a cool, collected voice replied. Jane and Frost followed the voice around a stack of filing cabinets to a small but well ordered office area, where the speaker sat with her back to them. All Jane could see was a well-kept mane of honey-blonde hair that flowed freely over the woman's trim shoulders. Her posture was perfect, her back straight as she leaned over the file on her desk, the pen in her hand flicking this way and that as she wrote notes. Jane cleared her throat.

"You're the pathologist?" the Detective started, thinking it as good a question as any to begin with.

"Yes, that would be me." The woman finally placed down her pen and gracefully exited her seat. She turned to face the two detectives, a polite but grim smile on her elfin face. "I'm Dr. Maura Doyle."

The first things Jane noticed were the two intelligent green eyes which kept steady contact with hers. The second was how stylishly dressed this Doctor was, with her silk blouse and black sheath of a skirt which gave way to two well toned legs. At about a head shorter than Jane, the Doctor had to look up slightly to meet her eyes, and Jane looked down into what was undoubtedly a beautiful face.

"I'm Detective Rizzoli and this is my partner, Detective Frost. You called us about a suspicious death?"

"I did, he's over here." Dr. Doyle led them over to the surgical table, where Jonathan Craig lay covered by a light green sheet. The Doctor donned her surgical scrubs and a pair of sterile gloves before removing the sheet. "Jonathan has been a recurring patient for the last year, usually complaining of stomach cramps and bouts of vomiting. His mother would bring him to the hospital often, sometimes up to three times a week."

The Detectives listened carefully, their expressions grim. Dr. Doyle removed the sheet to reveal a pale, fair haired boy who looked to Jane as if he might wake at any moment and want to run around and shout boisterously. Of course, he would never do that again.

"What was he diagnosed with?" she finally asked, and was rewarded with those intelligent green eyes surveying her in a way that made her feel as if the Doctor was trying to read her thoughts. Maybe she was.

"He was never officially diagnosed with any medical condition. The doctors handling his case believed he was crying out for attention. Crying wolf, I believe is the popular turn of phrase." The Doctor's tone and expression conveyed that she did not believe this theory, and so Jane decided to probe.

"What do _you _believe happened here, Doctor?" Despite the seriousness of the issue, Jane couldn't help inserting the tiniest hint of teasing in her voice. Perhaps the stench of chemicals in the room was making her light headed, but it was more likely the pretty green eyes that continued to entrance her throughout this conversation.

"I'm afraid I can only make a hypothesis based on the facts." Dr. Doyle replied, her tone matter of fact. Jane smirked.

"Then please, tell us your hypothesis, Dr. Doyle." she said.

The doctor paused a moment, her eyes searching Jane's, clearly trying to pinpoint the source of her humour. Eventually she gave up and her gaze returned to the little boy on the table. "I performed a multitude of tests on Jonathan upon his death, and I found a high concentration of salicylate in his blood stream."

"Salicylate?" Jane asked.

"A mild poison, commonly found in aspirin medications, Pepto Bismol and oil of wintergreen."

"Was there enough in his blood to kill him?" Jane probed, the facts slowly weaving themselves together in her mind to create a full picture.

"More than enough," Dr. Doyle nodded, consulting her notes.

Jane waited a few moments, expecting more. When she realised the Doctor had finished she prompted, "And? Who do you think was poisoning him? The mother?"

Dr. Doyle seemed perturbed at the thought of answering the question. "I couldn't possibly say. Isn't it _your _job to make that decision, detective?"

Jane frowned. "I'm asking _you_ who you think did this, wasn't that pretty clear?" she looked to Detective Frost for affirmation, who shrugged unhelpfully.

"Oh, I never make guesses or assumptions, Detective, all I am able to present to you are the facts." Dr. Doyle replied, as if this were something Jane should already know.

"Right..." Jane replied, amused, "Well, thank you for your time, Doctor, if you have anything more to tell us, feel free to give me – us – a call." Jane handed over her card as she spoke, and was pleasantly surprised to feel the Doctor's fingers brush across hers. The touch was brief, but electric, leaving Jane with a slight flutter in her chest. She hoped she would get a call.

"You're welcome, Detective, and here's _my_ card, should you have any more questions." Dr. Doyle handed Jane her card with a smile that unmistakably invited Jane to call for something other than work.

Jane studied the card as she and Frost turned to leave. She paused at the doorway, her eyes roving over the name printed on the laminated card.

"Doyle...hmm, any relation to Paddy Doyle?" She was half joking, and smiled teasingly in the Doctor's direction.

"Yes, he's my father." The Doctor replied with a smirk. Nonplussed, Jane stared at her for a moment with her mouth open in a shocked little 'O', and then she promptly spun on her heel and marched away.

* * *

Doctor Maura Doyle had always been something of a loner. She'd attended the best schools, one of the most prestigious colleges and a world renowned university, and yet she'd never managed to make a friend at any one of them. She'd had acquaintances of course, the classmates she would see every day and nod a hello to, but she'd never managed to connect with any of them, and not through lack of trying.

In kindergarten, she'd attempted to make friends by bringing in her favourite butterfly collection and attempting to educate the other children on the scientific names of each one. Unfortunately she succeeded only in alienating all the girls and the boys cruelly began to call her the 'bug girl'. When she made it to high school, her habit of correcting others and spouting facts about anything and everything made her an outcast, as it seemed being smarter than all your peers was a reason to be disliked.

Eventually Maura became introverted and learned to enjoy her own company. She flew through her studies and came to love the world of pathology. The company she couldn't get from the living she acquired from the dead. They couldn't talk to her, but she could talk for them, give them a voice. As far as she was concerned, it was the perfect job.

Now, as she left the children's hospital, her work done for the day, she thought about the charming detective who had come to visit her. Tall with dark hair that fell in sultry waves and a body obviously honed by hours of exercise. _Rizzoli...no doubt of Italian descent_, Maura thought as she recalled the chiselled jaw and sculpted cheekbones. The detective was indeed a beautiful specimen, and one that Maura could not afford to get involved with.

She pondered this resolution as she ducked into the sleek black limo her father had sent for her. She had promised to have dinner with him at his favourite restaurant that night. He'd said it was to be a casual affair, but she was quite certain it would turn to business. It always did. Not that she minded, of course, because without business, conversations between her and her father were awkward at best.

_Le Bon Mange_, one of Boston's swankiest restaurants, was sporting a waiting line almost a mile long when Maura arrived. It was amusing to see that so many would stand out in the cold autumn air for hours just to get a table here. She of course was permitted to enter as soon as she stepped out of the limo, her father having already made reservations. Pointless, really, as merely mentioning the name Doyle would have gotten her any seat in the house.

She made her way inside and was shown to her father's usual table, where she was seated and almost instantly served her usual drink, a glass of _Chateau Lafite Rothschild. _She'd always been a connoisseur of fine wines, and at almost two grand a bottle, the red liquid swirling in her glass was one of the finest. She took delicate sips of it whilst she waited, and entertained herself by studying the other patrons around her. She found it a fun little game to diagnose their medical problems by sight alone. She was quite good at it, if she did say so herself.

She was in the middle of examining the portly man at the corner table (sleep apnea and osteoarthritis, perhaps?) when Patrick Doyle arrived. Maura stood and accepted a perfunctory kiss on the cheek before sitting again. Paddy sat too, whilst his lone bodyguard stood a little ways behind him and scanned the room, constantly alert.

When they were both settled and their orders had been taken, (rib steak for him, smoked salmon for her) Paddy was the first to speak.

"My people tell me the police came to see you today." There was a pause in which he obviously expected Maura to elaborate. When she didn't, he went on, "Are you in some kind of trouble?" There was none of the Irish brogue left in Paddy's accent, he was a born and bred Bostonite. His voice was deep and very slightly raspy, as if his throat had been burned by one too many Irish whiskeys.

In contrast, Maura's voice was a high lilt, melodious but not so much that it made her appear whimsical. Though she did like to be whimsical when time and circumstances allowed.

"You need new people, because if yours were any good you'd know that I personally called the detectives there myself." She said.

"What for?"

"You know I can't discuss that with you, father. The law states-"

"I know what the law states, Maura, I know the rules like the back of my hand. But since when did any of them apply to people like us?" Paddy interrupted, staring down his daughter like she'd suddenly become a stranger to him.

"Since I decided to put my pathology degrees to some use. But don't worry, I won't be spilling all of our secrets to the enemy. I know where my loyalties lie." Maura replied, taking another sip of her splendid wine.

"You see that you remember. Speaking of which, I've a certain associate coming into town this weekend. He's so new to the business that he's a little naïve to the way things work. He's stepping on a few toes, so to speak. Can I count on you to give him a little push in the right direction?"

Maura remained quiet but they both knew she would. She was as much a part of Paddy's dangerous world as he was, and doing jobs like these came second nature, like her talent for medicine. Of course, that didn't mean she liked it, only that she could do it.

* * *

It was nearing midnight when Jane finally plodded up the stairs to home sweet home. She opened the door and was immediately ambushed by a scraggly looking little dog, who yipped and barked like she hadn't been home in years.

"Okay, okay! I get it, you missed me!" She picked the little noise-maker up and carried her into the kitchen. "You ready for some food, Jo Friday?" The vigorously wagging tail was answer enough, and Jane placed her down in order to spoon out the dog food.

When Jo Friday was suitably fed and watered, Jane flopped down onto her couch and allowed herself to relax for a moment. It had been a long day, starting with a prank call that had turned out to be a store mannequin covered in fake blood and ending with the tragic case of little Johnny Craig. She and Frost had confronted the mother of the child and she'd confessed to poisoning her son continuously in order to get attention. Jane had arrested her, but not long after having arrived at the station the brakes had been slammed on by the woman's attorney, who was pleading insanity.

Jane sighed at a world full of so many bad people. For the millionth time she wondered why she'd ever decided to become an officer of the law, but knew it wouldn't take her long to find the answer. Jane had always been compelled to protect other people, had always stood up for the weak and defended those who could not defend themselves. It was only natural that she had progressed to police work. She'd risen steadily through the ranks until she'd been offered a position in homicide. At first she'd been reluctant to take the job. Her passion was for protecting the living, and to take a job that dealt with those who hadn't been protected enough seemed a backwards idea. But logic eventually won out. She might not be able to protect the dead, but she could stop their killers from killing again.

The face of Dr Maura Doyle careened into the forefront of her mind, followed closely by the mugshot of Paddy Doyle, which she had seen time and time again on the police databases. She tried to see a resemblance between the two, but couldn't, and surmised Maura must look more like her mother. And who was that? The databases had never mentioned a wife, and it was unlike Paddy, to whom appearances were everything, to take on a child produced by a fling. Of course nobody had ever mentioned a daughter, either. Jane started to wonder just how much the detectives who followed Paddy around all day had missed.

Jane couldn't imagine anybody getting a glimpse of Maura and forgetting her. She had the kind of face one would remember, elfin and beautiful, with a smile that could bring many a man to his knees. _Not to mention a few women_, Jane noted as her thighs tensed at the thought of that smile being turned on her. _She's a dangerous woman, Rizzoli, you should keep away. _

Jo Friday chose that moment to hop up onto the couch and settle cosily in her lap. She stroked the dog's ratty fur, resolving to give her a bath sometime soon. Maura Doyle wasn't far from her thoughts, though. "If there's one thing I know about myself, Jo Friday, its that I've never been one to follow the rules."

* * *

**Chapter 2**

"Daniel Grady," were the first words Frost said to Jane when she rolled into the station the Monday after a long weekend of trying not to think of Maura Doyle. She went and stood by her partner's desk, a steaming cup of strong coffee in each of her hands. She placed one on Frost's desk and took a long gulp of the other, sighing as her caffeine fix was administered.

"Daniel Grady?" She finally asked.

"A jumper, an anonymous caller reported it this morning. The body was found on the pavement in front of a new office block down in the financial district." Frost explained.

"If it was a jumper then why hasn't it been given to Suicide?" Jane asked, frowning.

"They don't think he jumped by choice."

"I assume they took the body before figuring that out?" Frost nodded and Jane scowled. That was a whole bucket of evidence down the toilet. "Where is it now?"

"The basement."

"Lets get to it then."

* * *

When Jane and Frost walked into the pathology lab, Dr T. Pike was nowhere to be seen. Jane found this equally annoying and relieving. Pike was one of the most difficult people to get along with, as a friend as well as a colleague. He had a tendency to rub people the wrong way. Jane found it more difficult than most because she had a feeling the doctor had a little crush on her, which he expressed by making jibes about her intelligence and showing general disdain towards her. This didn't bother her, as she was quite capable of giving as much as she got. What bothered her was the way he drew out the examinations in order to show off. Jane was not the most patient of people.

"Pike! You in here!?" She called out, tired of playing hide and seek.

"_Dr _Pike, if you don't mind, Detective, I didn't spend seven years in medical school so people could bark my name without my official title." Pike swept past Jane and Frost, a strong smell of bad cologne following in his wake.

"_Dr _Pike," Jane started, as sickly sweet as she could manage, "perhaps you would care to show us the body of Daniel Grady? And offer your superior opinion on his death?"

"Keep your compliments to yourself, Detective, I've no time to flirt with colleagues. Some of us in this building actually have work to do."

"Then please, tell us what you've found." Jane said through gritted teeth.

"Its very simple," Dr. Pike began as he peeled the sterile cover off the body. The body of Daniel Grady was lay face down on the table, naked and covered in bruises. A large section of his skull had been pummelled into his brain, presumably by the fall, and as such the Detectives were treated to a view of the trauma area. Frost retched and had to turn away, still not completely comfortable around bloody wounds. "You see here," Pike continued, pointing to some particularly angry bruises below the victim's shoulder blades, "these have formed in the shape of hand prints, and the spinal column beneath them has suffered significant trauma, enough to have killed him after a short period of excruciating pain."

"Are you telling me he was pushed so hard he would have died even if he hadn't have fallen? And what about all these other bruises? There are too many to be from one fall." Jane mused over the body, trying to draw her own conclusions whilst asking for Pike's.

"Most of them were created prior to the fall. They are at least twenty four-hours old."

"So somebody worked him over before they killed him..."

Frost finally came back to the table, a little more composed. "He's a big guy, would have taken more than one person to bring him down." He offered.

"Yeah...unless it was a surprise attack. Or maybe he knew his killer. Lets go down to the crime scene, see what we can find out."

* * *

The office block was so new it didn't yet have any windows installed. Jane looked inside one of the lowest ones into a bare room. "Who owns the building?"

"Clapham Industries. They're a flooring company, planning to move in as soon as the building is ready." Frost explained.

"And the construction company?"

"Construction Kings, an all female company run by a woman called Sophia Covas."

"All right..." Jane looked up to the top of the building. It was about thirty feet high, plenty of height to cause a fatal fall. She looked down at the ground, searching for signs of blood. If there had been any there, it had been completely cleaned away by someone. The killer, perhaps? She checked the surrounding buildings for CCTV cameras. She couldn't see any but she'd call and ask around anyway, just to be sure.

"Head back to the station, Frost, run a check on everyone in connection with this building and call me with what you find. I'm going to pay this Sophia Covas a visit.

* * *

Sophia Covas loved her job. She'd begun Construction Kings at the tender age of twenty-one, when her father had passed away and left her a small fortune in his will. The all-woman business had grown into a small empire in the ten years it had been going, with most of Boston's newest buildings having been constructed by her workers. She had offices all over the city and the company was still growing steadily. She was proud of what she had achieved, and as she often looked at the vast skyline from her own mile-high office, she hoped her father was proud too.

She was thinking entirely different thoughts as she gazed at the view now, however, and sighed deeply. "You've put me in a very difficult position, you know." She murmured.

"I'm aware. In all fairness it wasn't supposed to happen like this, Sophia, and I apologise."

"Its a little late for an apology, Maura." Sophia turned and went to join Maura on the sofa. She put as much distance as she could between them and rubbed her tired blue eyes. "Are the cops likely to come sniffing around here?"

"More than likely," Maura answered, her hands clasped and resting on her crossed knees. "Will you be prepared to tell them what I've told you to say? There's a substantial gift I have for you if you do."

"You know full well I don't want your money. You know what I want, Maura." Sophia snapped. Maura smiled gently and gracefully shifted closer, until she was able to grasp Sophia's chin in her dainty fingers and pull it around. Sophia was a beautiful woman. She had light blue eyes, uncommon in Latina women, and a fiery temper when frustrated, which was a much more common trait.

"You can't have me, Sophia. I'm not looking for a wife. I'm sorry." She kissed Sophia on her full lips, her hand moving from the woman's chin to the back of her neck where she grasped the short dark tendrils that danced around Sophia's neck. There was some slight resistance at first, then Sophia responded, hungrily playing her tongue along Maura's bottom lip until it was allowed entry. Sophia groaned and took her fill, knowing that it could be weeks before she saw Maura again.

For several minutes the sound of their lips moving together was all that could be heard, and then shouting could be discerned coming from outside the office. They pulled apart when the door swung open to reveal Jane Rizzoli, who halted instantly when she saw Maura and Sophia on the sofa together. Sophia was leaning across Maura, one arm draped behind her head and the other still lightly caressing her thigh. The room was silent until two security officers and Sophia's assistant came barrelling into the room behind Jane.

"Miss Covas, I'm sorry, she wouldn't listen, I tried-" The assistant tried to explain.

"Detective Rizzoli, homicide." Jane cut in, flashing her badge at everybody in the room. "I have some questions for Miss Covas here."

"Its quite all right, Mrs Matthews, I can take it from here." Sophia said, and dismissed her staff with a wave of her hand. She stood, disentangling herself from Maura, who also stood and headed for the door. She smiled at Jane and raised her eyebrow a little as she passed, and Jane couldn't help the slight twitch that occurred between her legs. It was pretty clear that Maura already had someone on her arm, however, and Jane wasn't supposed to be getting involved with a mob boss' daughter anyway.

When the door closed behind Maura, Jane dropped into the seat opposite Sophia's desk chair, avoiding the sofa where she could still see the image of the two women sharing their intimate moment. Without meaning to, she started to wonder what she might have seen if she'd walked in ten minutes later. Maybe she'd have heard a cry as a dark head bobbed between outspread legs, a whimper as a tongue teased and lustful moans as the dam broke and Maura threw her head back in ecstasy.

"Detective?"

"Wh-what?" Jane was red-faced as she came to her senses. She coughed, he throat having gone suddenly dry and her heart pounding like the hooves of a racehorse. "Sorry, I was, hmm, lost in thought."

"Right...so you said you have some questions for me?" Sophia reminded her. There was a slight smirk to her smile that made Jane feel like growling. She settled for a grimace instead and mentally checked her questions. Then she disregarded them in favour of a more pressing question.

"How do you know Maura Doyle?" she asked.

"Isn't that obvious?" Sophia responded with a chuckle.

"I mean how did you meet?"

"Our fathers were friends, we've known each other since we were in diapers. Is this really relevant, Detective?"

"Its very relevant. Can you tell me what you were doing between ten and twelve PM on Saturday night?"

"I was here."

"Do you always work so late at the weekends?"

"I never said I was working." There was a glint in Sophia's eyes as she spoke, and Jane could easily work out what she was being told.

"Who were you with?"

"A friend."

"Does your friend have a name?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't disclose that, Detective, its more than my business is worth to tell you. Maybe if you tell me what all these questions are about, I could help you more." Sophia challenged.

"A man was found dead outside one of your construction sites yesterday morning, know anything about that?"

Sophia adopted a surprised expression. "Are you serious? Where? I need to call the site manager immediately." She was very convincing, but Jane was fairly certain Sophia had already been told.

"The man's name was Daniel Grady. Ring any bells?" She pressed.

"Hmm...no, can't say it does. I can assure you, Detective, this has nothing to do with me or any of my employees."

"Then you won't mind giving me access to the building you're constructing for Clapham industries, will you?"

"Be my guest, Detective. I'll give you the site manager's number and you can arrange a time as you see fit. Is that good enough?"

"Great." Jane replied as sarcastically sweet as she could.

* * *

When Jane walked outside it was raining hard. She cursed and was just about to make a dash for her car when she heard her name being called. She looked up to see none other than Maura, stood by a swanky looking black limo with an umbrella in her hand.

"Detective Rizzoli! Might I have a word?" She called in a voice that seemed to be equal parts polite and mischievous. After weighing up her options, Jane changed her course and headed for the black car.

She ducked inside to find Maura already comfortably seated across from the door. She sat adjacent to her, right next to the door so that she could make a speedy exit if necessary. Maura was, after all, a mobster's daughter, and she would do well to remember that fact. She was glad to have enough room to stretch her legs out. Being six foot tall had its many advantages, but fitting into small spaces was not one of them.

"Are you comfortable, Detective?" Maura asked as if sharing a car with the law was something she did every day.

"Plenty," Jane curtly replied, "You said you wanted to tell me something?" she added, but Maura was staring at her hand, which she'd absent-mindedly placed on her knee when she sat down. Too late, she shifted it out of view.

"How did that happen?" Maura asked gently.

"I'm a clumsy detective." Jane nonchalantly answered, though she was doing her best not to meet Maura's questioning gaze.

"Let me look, please." It was something of a command, and despite Jane's reluctance, she slid her hand into Maura's, palm up. Maura looked at the jagged circle of a scar in the middle of the lined skin, a red reminder of past pain. She traced the scar with the fingers of her other hand. The skin was tough but had a silky texture and felt nice against her fingertips.

"You have a matching one on your other hand, don't you?" Maura murmured, still studying Jane's hand.

Jane nodded, surprised that she was allowing this to go on so long. She usually refused to talk about what had put the scars there, but there was just something about Maura Doyle that made her act completely out of the ordinary.

"You were the anonymous detective who became one of Charles Hoyt's victims. They talked about you in the news..." She was no longer asking questions, just stating facts. Jane had adamantly refused to be interviewed and threatened to sue if her name was ever mentioned. She'd only had her detective's badge a few months when she and her first partner, Vince Korsak, had been given the Hoyt case. Jane had been thrilled at the chance to take such a sick and twisted killer down. It should have been the case that made her career, and instead she felt it was her biggest failure.

Awaking from her stupor, Jane pulled her hand away, retreating both physically and mentally from the conversation. "What did you want to tell me?"

Sensing the shut down, Maura reclined in her seat, content to let Jane have her space back for the time being. "Nothing, I wanted to ask if you would have dinner with me."

"You want me to have dinner with you?" Jane was surprised to say the least. "What would daddy Doyle say about that?" She joked.

Maura looked confused. "My father hasn't policed my dates since I was sixteen years old, I'm fairly certain he won't start now."

"No, I meant...never mind..." Jane's bemusement masked her tumbling thoughts. Should she? She shouldn't. But then again...Maura was close to Sophia. Maybe Jane could glean some information about Daniel Grady's death from her. She told herself that was the only reason she was even considering it, the only reason she was going to say yes.

"Okay...dinner it is." The beaming smile Maura sent her way threw all of her logical reasoning out of the car window. Damn, she was beautiful.

* * *

When Jane arrived back at the station, Frost had a long list of names he had gathered concerning the Daniel Grady murder. Each and every one of them would have to be interviewed and checked off. It was a laborious job but it had to be done. Maybe one of them would know something.

"Hey Jane, I checked the CCTV outside Sophia Covas' offices, turns out she was telling the truth, and you'll never believe who she was with."

_I bet I will, _Jane thought, "Who?"

"Janet Harrison, the senator's daughter." Frost said with a grin.

"Janet...?" Jane was surprised, she was sure that Frost was about to say Maura Doyle. "Isn't she married with kids?

Frost nodded "Obviously Sophia is giving her something her husband can't."

"Right, well, suppose we can cross her off the list now." Jane sighed. It was probably going to be a long afternoon. She picked up the list that Frost had made and studied the names, wondering if one of them was their killer. She went and sat at her desk, only to find a sealed envelope sitting on top of her workload. It had _Jane _written on it it perfect cursive, ensuring there was no confusion about who's it was.

She looked around the office as she opened it, wondering who had delivered the letter and whether they were still watching. She pulled it out and got an instant whiff of Maura Doyle's perfume. It was almost intoxicating, but Jane steadied herself and unfolded the note.

_Looking forward to seeing you, Detective. After much thought I have decided to host you in my own home. I'll see you on Friday at eight sharp. I'll be waiting. MD._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 3**

The following Friday saw Jane pulling up outside an expensive-looking house and still cursing herself for agreeing to this date. _Dinner. Its a dinner, Jane, not a date. _Still, she checked her appearance in the rear-view mirror and ran a hand through her unruly hair. She could be walking into an ambush right now, and it would be her own fault. This was a truly stupid idea. She got out of the car and walked up the short pathway to the door of Maura's house.

The door opened just as she raised her hand to knock, which turned out to be not-so-surprising to Jane. Obviously anybody with Maura Doyle's status would surely have cameras everywhere on the property. She dropped her hand back by her side and smiled.

"Am I late?" She asked, not actually expecting an answer.

"By two minutes and thirteen seconds, but I'm not likely to hold it against you, Detective." Maura said with a playful smile which she tossed over her shoulder as she led Jane into the house. It was a modern building with a post-modern décor. At least that's what Jane thought it was. The paintings on the walls looked pretty old and the furniture stylishly antique, but she was hardly an expert on such things.

"Jane," She said, "You can call me Jane."

"Hmm, I rather like _Detective_, its seems quite wildly exciting...but perhaps _Jane _will become just as exciting in time." Maura said, her eyes dancing with mischief. Jane coughed self-consciously.

"Erm, maybe..." Used to being the one in control, Jane was unsure as to how to conduct herself in this situation. Maura seemed happy to take the lead, however, and wasn't having any trouble carrying the conversation.

"I hope you brought a large appetite with you, Jane."

"I don't have any other kind of appetite." There was so much innuendo lacing their words that Jane was certain she'd made a mistake in coming here. Maura was wearing the slinkiest pastel green dress which looked to be made of silk, and it left very little to the imagination. She felt her thighs tighten at the thought of running her hands up the well maintained legs, slowly pushing the edge of the dress up to reveal...she stopped herself from going any further. She was being insane. This was Paddy Doyle's _daughter. _Paddy Doyle, a man who wouldn't think twice about having an officer of the law buried alive and left to die.

Not that Jane was scared of him in any way, no, but being involved with Maura would surely put her career and a myriad of investigations in jeopardy. It was far too risky for too many people, not just herself.

"That's wonderful, I've ended up with rather a lot of food in my eagerness to please, I hope you like Italian?"

Jane stared at Maura for a moment, trying to work out whether the question was serious or not. Maura looked back at her, her eyebrows slightly raised in question.

"Erm, no, we Italians hate our own food." She joked, then immediately regretted it when Maura's face fell.

"Oh, no, I'm terribly sorry, I just assumed..."

Jane rushed to correct her mistake. "Maura, I was kidding, of course I like Italian. If I didn't my Ma would have killed and disowned me long ago, in that order." This was not the kind of person she had expected Maura to be. The smaller woman looked somewhat vulnerable and Jane had to fight the urge to hug her close. The urge doubled in strength when she saw Maura wiping away a stray tear.

"I'm so sorry, its just that my amygdala and my lacrimal gland have a connection that I can't really control." She explained. Jane's eyebrows almost disappeared into her hairline.

"Your what and your what have what now? Never mind, how about we just eat what I'm sure is gonna be a great meal?"

"Yes, yes, of course. Please, take a seat." Maura gestured to what Jane assumed was the dining room and then promptly strode into the kitchen, leaving Jane alone. The Detective did as she was asked and pushed through to the dining room where she found a long dining table that looked to be from the Victorian era. It was intricately detailed and finely carved with a marble finish. Two of its matching chairs had been pulled back and napkins had been set on the seats. Knives, forks and spoons were laid out before them, about three of each, which made Jane scrabble to remember which utensil was for what. It was a futile endeavour, as she'd not had any lessons in etiquette since she'd _accidentally _flicked a spoonful of peas at Sister Winifred in third grade. She'd just have to wing it and hoped Maura wouldn't notice.

_You sound like a teenager on her first date. _Chastised by her own mind, Jane settled herself grudgingly at the table. A moment later Maura burst through the door carrying two plates stacked with stuffed mushrooms. She placed them on the table with a flourish and then gracefully seated herself opposite Jane.

"Please, eat and tell me what you think." She smiled, and Jane happily began to dig in.

* * *

An hour later, after a main course of chicken and mushroom risotto and a divine dessert of chocolate fudge cheesecake, Jane and Maura were sat on the Doctor's sofa, each at opposite ends and each of their positions contrasting the other. Maura sat with her legs tucked snugly under herself, one arm draped along the back of the sofa. She had a glass of red wine in her free hand and was listening intently as Jane told funny stories about her two brothers.

"Tommy has always been a wild one, he only recently got out of jail so Frankie has been keeping a close eye on him. Its been the same ever since we were kids. Me and Frankie would always team up to keep Tommy out of trouble. It never really worked, he would always manage to slip away and cause mayhem."

Maura chuckled, "It must have been fun, though, having siblings?"

"Oh, yeah, I love my brothers," Jane explained, "But they're both pains in the ass when they want to be." Jane was smiling warmly as she spoke of her family. It was clear to anyone that they were the most important part of her life. Maura couldn't quite relate. Her father had never been the most nurturing kind of parent, and without any siblings Maura had spent a great deal of her younger years alone. Listening to Jane and seeing the love she had for her family made Maura yearn for things she'd never realised she wanted.

"What about you? Any brothers, sisters?" Jane asked, taking a quick swig of her beer.

"No, I am an only child. My mother passed away giving birth to me, and my father never remarried."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, Maura..." Jane braced herself for more tears but was surprised when Maura turned to her with a smile.

"Its perfectly fine, we did not have an adequate amount of time to bond and so I am unable to miss something I have never experienced."

"I...see..." Jane replied, slightly lost for words. She tapped the bottom of her bottle against her knee, trying to come up with a new conversation topic. However, Maura wasn't yet done with this one.

"What is _your _mother like, Jane?" She quietly ventured.

"Ma? She's like any other mom, really, except ten times worse," Jane chuckled to herself, "She still spends all her time picking up after me. I don't know how she got a key to my apartment but I ain't gonna ask her, she'd tear me a new one for accusing her of robbery."

"She sounds wonderful." Maura smiled.

"_Really? _You'll have to meet her, see how wonderful you think she is when she's rearranging your house and labelling everything."

Maura laughed, "Jane! She's your mother." She chastised

"Yeah, and God knows I love the woman but she drives me crazy sometimes."

"She must have her good points, surely."

"She has tonnes of them." Jane said, sobering a little, "I remember when dad left, I was fifteen or so, all long legs and attitude, and Ma...she didn't stop for a moment. He walked out the door and she didn't spend a single minute moping about it. She just picked herself right up and continued life as if she'd always been a single parent. She kept herself together for us guys."

"She sounds like a very strong woman."

"She is...she's incredible." Jane agreed, thinking that she'd have to treat her mother sometime soon. "Its getting late, I should go." She finally said, rising to her feet. Maura rose too and placed her glass on the coffee table. Jane followed her lead and placed her bottle next to the glass. Then time seemed to stop as they stood together, each looking into the other's eyes. They were close, so close that Jane could feel the heat of Maura's breath on her face, could smell the expensive wine Maura had been drinking.

Maura soon took the initiative and pulled Jane's head down for a kiss, tenderly holding the Detective's face in her hands as their mouths slowly moved together. It wasn't long before the kiss became a little more heated, Jane now a willing participant, her hands smoothing their way down Maura's back to cup her ass.

It was hard to say who was in control at that point, but when Maura pushed Jane back onto the sofa, hitched her dress to her waist and straddled the taller woman's lap, it was made crystal clear. Jane was only too happy to take advantage of Maura's position, exploring the creamy expanse of Maura's thighs which had been revealed when she pulled up her dress. Her mouth was captured again by the smaller woman, and she was proud to feel rather than hear Maura gasp against her lips when her hands slipped underneath the Doctor's lacy underwear and caressed two perfectly formed buttocks.

Before things could get any more intense, Jane's phone started to ring and buzz inside her pants pocket. It was the tone she's set for Frost, which could only mean one thing. She pulled the phone from her pocket and pressed it to her ear whilst simultaneously putting a finger to her lips and keeping her gaze on Maura. Instantly a mischievous glint appeared in Maura's eyes.

"Rizzoli. What do you have for me, Frost?" Jane tried to keep her voice steady, but the finger she'd put to her lips was now held firmly in Maura's hands, and it was extremely difficult to concentrate whilst watching two full lips enclose erotically around her fingertip. "I-I'll be right there," She could feel a soft sucking and the tip of Maura's tongue as it drew circles on the pad of her finger. Other parts of her body felt the touch too, like a phantom sensation that made her loins twitch with need.

She quickly ended the call and disentangled herself from Maura, though it took every ounce of her willpower to do it. "I have to go, duty calls." She was arranging herself as she explained, trying to avoid looking at the sexy smirk on Maura's face.

"I suppose you're one of those detectives who never lets her personal life get in the way of work, hmm?" Maura asked, though there was no malice in the question, just amusement.

"Got it in one." Jane grinned. She checked she had everything, including the gun she still had strapped in her holster, which she very rarely removed.

"I do hope we can continue this another time..." The purr in Maura's voice made Jane powerless to resist. She leaned down, one hand gripping the sofa next to Maura's honey-blonde locks, the other cupping the smooth skin of her jaw.

"I'd like that..." She whispered, and then stole one last kiss before leaving the house.

* * *

It wasn't until she was in the car and on the way to the crime scene that Jane realised she hadn't once mentioned Daniel Grady or Sophia. _Damn it, Rizzoli, you're losing your mind over this woman, _she scolded herself, _you'll lose a lot more if you get in any deeper._ When she made it to the address Frost had given her, she found him standing outside a big suburban house, conferring with Dr. Pike. The residence was obviously a family home, made clear by the children's swing and slide set on the front lawn.

Frost had already explained to her on the phone that this had been a double murder, a man and his wife, but hadn't mentioned any children. She strode up the pathway to Frost, who was looking a little green around the gills.

"Everything okay?"

Frost nodded unconvincingly. "The couple were tied up and shot at point blank range with what Pike thinks was a shotgun. There's barely anything left of their heads."

Jane followed Frost through to the family room where the bodies of Tony and Claire Delaggio still sat in the positions they had been killed in. Looking at the two places where the couple's heads used to be, Jane was not surprised at Frost's sickly pallor. Blood was spattered all over the walls, coating photo frames and homely ornaments. Taking care not to contaminate any evidence, Jane stepped across to get a close up of the photos, immediately spotting what she was looking for. A little boy, about four years old in the picture, beamed a cheeky smile back at her. He was the image of the man who's knee he sat upon, the man who's blood she assumed had splattered the frame not so long ago.

"Frost!" She called, "Did they find the kid?"

Frost stepped into the room, keeping his eyes directly on Jane so as not to look at the headless bodies. "Not yet, we're thinking maybe he's at a friend's house, maybe his grand-" Frost was cut off by the sound of a thud that came from upstairs. Instantly the two detectives whipped out their guns and held them in a defensive position. Jane led the way up the stairs, her eyes and ears alert for any sign of movement or sound. She gently pushed open the first door she came to and cleared the room. She let Frost take the next one whilst she went onto a third.

Again she pushed it open slowly and swept her gun around the room. Next she checked behind the door for any would be assailants and found none. She stepped further into the room, certain this was where the thud had come from. It was a basic guest room with a plain white bed and neutral decoration. In one corner was a door, which Jane assumed either led to a closet or a bathroom. Taking the usual precautions, she pulled it open.

There, sat amongst a mess of towels, half wrapped up in them, was the little boy from the photos downstairs. He looked up at Jane with big terrified eyes.

"L-leave me alone!" He tried to push himself further into what had turned out to be a closet, but there was no more space to move into. He was shivering with fear. Jane slowly put her gun away and then knelt to the floor, making herself look as non-threatening as possible.

"Its okay, little guy, nobody's going to hurt you now. My name is Jane, I work for the police." She pulled out her badge and showed it to the boy. "You ever seen one of these? It means I get to arrest bad guys and fight crime. You wanna hold onto it for me?"

The boy nodded and crawled out of his safe haven to take the badge and hold it to his chest. He looked so vulnerable and small that Jane's heart broke. _This poor kid is an orphan now, _she thought, _all because of some sicko with a gun._

"Can you tell me your name, kid?"

"Luke..."

"Well, Luke, how does a little ride in a big police car sound?" Jane kept her tone jovial despite the churning in her stomach. A lot of pain and heartache awaited this kid, and it was hard to look into his open and innocent face and not think about it.

The boy nodded so Jane picked him up and carried him out, purposely using the rear entrance in order to avoid the family room. She retrieved her badge when she'd settled Luke into a police car and introduced him to the officer who would be driving him to the station, who turned out to be none other than Frankie Rizzoli, Jane's brother.

"Officer Rizzoli is gonna take you down to the station and show you all the cool police stuff we got, okay? So you be a good boy for him, all right?" Luke nodded, but there was uncertainty in his eyes, as if he already knew his life was never going to be the same again. Jane patted Frankie on the shoulder when Luke was safe inside the car. "Take care of him, Frankie, and drive carefully. No Evel Knievel crap just to impress him, okay?"

"You spoil all my fun." Frankie replied, getting into the car. Unusual as it was to joke around at a murder scene, it was a way of coping with the harsh realities the siblings faced every day. A defence mechanism that kept them sane enough not to trawl the streets giving the killers a taste of their own medicine, becoming what they hated.

* * *

Whilst Jane was investigating the murder of Tony and his wife, Maura was hearing all about it from her father, who had burst into her home not an hour after Jane had left, shouting curses and steaming around her home like an irate bull.

Tony Delaggio had been Paddy's right hand man, someone who had almost been like a son to the mobster. His death was a huge blow to Paddy, who'd someday hoped to hand down his businesses to Tony. Maura was outraged by the murder too, though mainly because it was an affront to the Doyle name. She'd known and liked Tony, but in their world it didn't pay to get attached to their brethren, because there was always a huge risk involved in being one of Paddy Doyle's lackeys. She was surprised her father had gotten so fond of the man, as it was he who'd always warned her off building close friendships with anyone. It was far too easy to lose them.

"Have you received any information from the shooter?" All business, Maura was more than ready to get to the bottom of this travesty. Her father could grieve when it was all over.

"Not a fucking squeak from the cowardly bastard. I swear, Maura, when I find out who did this I'll have his damn guts for garters!" Paddy was so angry he was beginning to turn a nasty shade of red. _His blood pressure must be well outside the normal parameters, _Maura thought.

"I'll organise the men, it won't take long for them to find who did it, and then we will take the fuckers out!"

Maura sighed. Her night had been going so well. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about Jane since the detective had taken her leave and was actually planning on taking a very long soak and finishing what had been started earlier.

_There's no rest for the wicked, I suppose._

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Jane awoke the morning after her date with Maura to the unsightly vision of Joe Friday's behind. She groaned, thinking she must have left the bedroom door open by mistake last night, but a familiar voice calling her name from the kitchen made her realise what had really happened.

"Janey! What have you done with all those spoons I gave you? Did you put them in the dishwasher when I specifically told you not to? You were supposed to wash them by hand, they were antiques!" Angela Rizzoli's voice was husky but strong as she scolded her daughter from the other room. Jane was thirty years old and still she wasn't too old to get a thorough telling off.

"They're in the drawer, Ma!" She called back, wishing she could just go back to sleep, even if that did involve putting her head next to her dog's sometimes gassy behind.

"Which drawer?! I can't work out what is what in this kitchen! I keep telling you to be more organised, Janey, you never listen, and look where its got us!"

Growling as loud as she dared – which wasn't loud enough for Angela to hear – Jane rolled out of bed, frustrated and desperately in need of coffee. It was early, she still had a couple of hours before she had to be at the station. Her mother never came around this early unless she was up to something or wanted to ferret out some information about Jane or her brothers. Best to get it over with as soon as possible. She wouldn't get any peace until she did.

Stomping into the kitchen, she pulled open a drawer and gestured with her hand. "Look Ma, spoons!" Admittedly they were buried beneath the rest of Jane's cutlery, which usually she would throw into the drawer willy nilly when they were clean. Now that the spoon issue was taken care of, it was time to figure out why her mother was here to bother her. "Why are you here, Ma?" She flicked on the coffee maker, willing it to perform extra fast today.

"Does a mother need an excuse to come see her children?" Angela exclaimed, looking offended.

"No, but you usually have one." Jane replied, clearly not yet awake enough to think before she spoke.

"I fed you and raised you and this is the thanks I get? Suspicion whenever I visit? I'm shocked at you, Jane Clementine Rizzoli!"

Jane sighed, her already thin patience waning."All right, fine! Do you want a coffee?"

"No, I want you to tell me where you were last night." And so Angela's true motive was revealed.

"What? I was working last night, Ma."

"Don't you lie to your mother, Janey, I called Detective Frost, you weren't with him."

"You called my partner?! Ma! You can't do that!"

"He was very nice to me! You should take notes from him. So where were you?"

Scowling, Jane almost grunted, "Out."

"Out where? With who? Were you on a date? Who was she? Are you seeing her again?"

"I wasn't on a date! I was just...out to dinner. With a friend."

Angela huffed, "Well aren't you gonna tell me about it?"

"No, Ma, it was just dinner!"

"Then why do you look like you haven't slept a wink all night?"

"Gee, thanks Ma," Jane grumbled, "If you must know we had a double murder occur last night, I didn't get back here until four AM."

"A double murder? That's terrible! Are you seeing this friend again?" As usual, Angela was focusing on the more important issue.

"Ma, is that all you can think about?! You do know what a double murder is, right?"

"Well of course I do, but nothing is more important to me than seeing my children happy. And maybe getting some grandchildren someday."

Jane sighed. "You do understand that two women can not make a baby, right, Ma?"

"'I'm not stupid, Janey, of course I know that! But I read, and I can use the google! You could adopt, or use one of those treatments..."

Jane was clearly never going to win this argument. She poured her mother a coffee and then promptly took her own to the living room where she settled onto her couch with a lazy sigh. Angela followed suit and looked at her expectantly. Jane saw the hope in her mother's eyes and couldn't bear to tell her that, with her type of job and the crazy hours it made her work, she was unlikely to ever have time to raise a family. Even if she could find someone to raise one with. Her thoughts flickered instantly to Maura, imagining a bouncing baby in her arms. _Just what the world needs, _she thought, _more Doyles. _

Deciding to avoid the topic of grandchildren for the time being, Jane decided to bite the bullet and let her mother in a little. "She's called Maura. She works for the children's hospital. I had to go and see her about a child murder last week, and since then its like she's been...well, following me. She turned up in the middle of another investigation and asked me to dinner." _And has completely thrown me off my game, _she silently added.

"Is she pretty?" Angela wondered.

"She's...beautiful," Jane answered honestly, "She has these bright, intelligent green eyes, and a great smile. And she's nice...a little strange, but nice."

"Well that settles it, then, you'll have to invite her around for dinner. I'll cook." Angela said, matter of factly.

"Ma, we've only had one dinner, don't you think its a little early to be playing meet the parents?"

"The earlier the better, Janey, I need to make sure she's good enough for you!"

Jane sighed. Considering Maura's family history, the last thing she was likely to be was good.

* * *

Maura yawned, which was uncharacteristic for her, but she'd spent all night and most of the morning trying to find out who'd killed Tony, and more importantly, where his son was. So far she was the only one to have paid any attention to the whereabouts of Luke, as everybody else was out for the killers blood and had no time for such a trivial thing as a suddenly orphaned child.

Deep down, under the unshakeable exterior she'd adopted in order to survive Paddy's world, Maura had a kind and caring heart that called to her. There was a little boy somewhere, grieving the loss of his parents and likely feeling exceptionally alone right now, and if Maura had anything to say about it, he was going to be looked after. It was because of her father's business that his parents were dead. The least they could do was make sure he would have the best care from now on.

After trawling through mountains of red tape, she'd finally located him at a government-run children's home that specialised in kids who had been subjected to a traumatic experience. After much sweet talking and even more dipping into the Doyle family coffers, Maura had been granted temporary custody of the boy. She was scheduled to pick him up later that day.

For now, she was at the hospital, checking over results and trying to keep her mind off Detective Rizzoli. It wasn't like Maura to resist something she wanted, because usually anything she wanted, she got. But with the death of Tony and the subsequent repercussions it had already caused, it was dangerous to be fraternising with the law at this time. The police would already know who the deceased worked for, and would no doubt be questioning Paddy before the day was done. It was time for Maura to stand together with her family. _Its always been us and them, on opposite sides of the metaphorical fence, _she thought, _but sometimes I wish it was different._

Filing away her traitorous thoughts for the moment, Maura thought about her mother, and wondered not for the first time if her life would have been different had she lived. Her father didn't speak about Hope much and never had, so Maura had little idea of the kind of person she had been. She'd seen pictures, and in them her mother was always smiling warmly and seemed happy with her lot. Would she have smiled like that at Maura? Would she have picked her up and held her when she fell? Would she have sent her off to school with a packed lunch and a kiss on the forehead every morning? Would she have liked her only daughter, as no one else seemed to?

It was pointless to wonder about it now, of course. Maura was never going to get any answers and even if she did, would she like what she heard? She shook her head and automatically straightened her designer clothes, more out of habit than necessity.

She really did need to stop fantasising about a parallel life and start enjoying the one she had been given.

* * *

There were some parts of her job that Jane really hated, unavoidable parts that were often worse than even the goriest crime scene. Those parts were called paperwork, and they were the bane of Jane's existence.

It wasn't that she was lazy, or even that it meant she had to sit at her desk for hours on end just to get it all done. It was that it was just so _boring. _In order to cover their own backs and those of their colleagues, they had to write down every single movement they made at the crime scene, as well as everyone else's movements and everything that was said and done. Most of it was relevant detail, of course, but by the time you've written your fifty thousandth banal movement you're starting to have your own homicidal thoughts which include using your pen to stab every member of the anal administration.

So when Detective Frost finally managed to track down the location of Luke Delaggio she was more than ready to get out of the station for a while. She drove them both to the care home, simultaneously hoping that Luke saw something, or someone, and that he didn't. It would certainly help if he had, but for his own sanity Jane hoped he hadn't.

The afternoon traffic was almost non-existent, which made for an easy stress-free ride, just the way Jane liked them. Her throat was still feeling a little hoarse after the débâcle that morning when another driver had failed to take note of a stop sign and almost ploughed into the side of her car. When she'd finished yelling at him he'd looked a little windswept and clambered back into his car without a word. It was almost comical, now Jane thought about it.

When they pulled into the care home's car park, Jane was only mildly surprised to see a familiar black limo taking up two opposite spaces. _Guess you had the same idea as us, Dr. Doyle._ After running a background check on Tony, the Detectives knew he'd worked for Paddy Doyle. Had been his right hand man, to all intents and purposes. That didn't mean him and his wife deserved to have their brains splattered all over the walls of their family room, of course, but it changed the way Jane viewed the murder. She no longer thought they were looking for a crazed killer, more somebody who opposed Paddy Doyle and wanted to send a gruesome message.

They walked inside the building and after some explanation and a quick flash of their badges, they were shown to a small but comfortable meeting room, which sported a couple of simple couches and an armchair. The colour scheme boasted neutral colours like greens and pale yellows. Jane was no interior decorator, but all in all it was hideous.

They waited around ten minutes before the door opened again and in walked Maura, hand in hand with Luke Delaggio. A care worker came up behind them, but only to close the door and give them some privacy.

Jane cleared her throat, "We were under the impression we'd be seeing Luke under supervision by his legal guardians. How did you get into the mix, Dr. Doyle?" Thoroughly aware of Frost beside her, Jane kept her tone professional. Or as professional as Jane would ever manage.

Maura smiled that mischievous smile Jane had come to find slightly thrilling. "I am Luke's legal guardian as of thirty three minutes ago, Detective, so in effect, your impression was correct."

Jane was nonplussed for a second but she soon regained her equilibrium and decided to proceed as planned. _There she goes, throwing me for a loop again. She can't honestly be related to _the _Paddy Doyle. _

"Okay, we'd just like to ask Luke a few questions, if you don't mind..."

* * *

An hour later they were finished and Maura had taken Luke to get him settled in her limo. Jane and Frost were conferring with the care workers to see if Luke had opened up to any of them during his brief stay. Just as they were leaving, Maura met them at the door.

"Detective Rizzoli, can I speak with you a moment? In here?" She gestured to an empty office and opened the door before looking expectantly at Jane.

After deliberating for a split second, Jane turned to Frost, "I'll be out in a minute, go and get the car warm." She could tell Frost was a little put out at being given such rookie orders, but he did as he was told and Jane followed Maura into the office. "I hope you realise we-" As soon as the door closed, Jane found herself pushed up against it and her mouth covered with soft questing lips. Maura's hands were underneath her shirt, stroking her abs and making the muscles twitch, which had something of a domino effect that led right down into her boxers, which suddenly seemed to be too tight.

Maura's tongue was in her mouth, caressing, stroking, driving Jane crazy. The Doctor's hands were moving north to where Jane's breasts were held firm beneath a sports bra. Her nipples stood out rigid, rubbing deliciously against the material. Maura's hands were almost upon them when Jane came to her senses with a reluctant growl and gently but firmly pushed Maura away. There were kids in this building, and Frost was waiting just outside.

They were both panting, breasts heaving with the exertion. Jane was dishevelled, her shirt halfway up her stomach and the top button of her pants undone. _When did she manage that? _Shaking her head, she tried to remember what she was going to say before Maura had pounced.

Maura was, as always, immaculate. Not a strand of hair was out of place. Jane was gratified to see she was out of breath, at least.

"I'm terribly sorry," she said between breaths, "You have a habit of overexciting my neurotransmitters."

Jane raised an eyebrow, "Uh, yeah, you too," she replied, "But listen, Maura, we can't..."

Maura moved closer, obviously sensing what Jane was about to say. "We can't what?" she murmured, looking up at Jane with a sultry expression.

"We...I mean-" Jane coughed as Maura's knee wended its way between her legs. She fought the urge to pull the Doctor closer, tighter against herself. "My mother has invited you to dinner!" She finally blurted.

Maura seemed to be as shocked as Jane was for saying it. She hadn't meant to say it, but now it was out there, she couldn't take it back without hurting Maura's feelings. _Whoever thought a cop would be worried about the feelings of a Doyle? _

"You...want me to come to dinner? With you and your mother?" Maura clarified.

"Uh...yes. Ma wants to meet you. But obviously you don't have to, I'm sure you're busy with smart doctor-y stuff and-"

"I'd love to." Maura's face was open and she looked incredibly happy, more happy than Jane had ever seen her.

"Right...Friday?" Jane suggested.

"Perfect." Maura beamed.

* * *

Daniel Grady Sr sat nursing a scotch in his excessively plush London office, thinking carefully about his next move on Paddy Doyle. Killing his right hand man hadn't soothed the terrible rage that still boiled inside him. His thirst for revenge still burned, licking at his insides and driving his blood pressure further up than ever.

He'd seen the pictures of his boy, seen what those animals had done to him. He'd heard the story from reliable sources. He knew who had done it, and why. Of course, as a father, no excuse would ever be good enough for taking his son away from him. Danny Boy was his pride and joy, the apple of his eye. From an early age he'd kept the boy right by his side, teaching him everything he knew, preparing him for the world.

Like Paddy, Daniel Sr had an empire which he ruled with an iron fist, and he lived by the phrase _An eye for an eye. _But this time he wanted to take more than just an eye, he wanted to take it all. Run Paddy Doyle right into the ground. He'd start by sending his men to take everything the man held dear to himself. And then when he was lying in the dirt, begging for his life, Daniel Sr would be the one to put the bullet between his eyes.

He shifted the papers around on his desk, pulling out a photograph. He studied it for a few moments. Maura Doyle was a beautiful woman who looked like she didn't belong in Paddy's world. But looks were deceiving. Maura was as embroiled in her father's business as any son would be, Daniel Sr was sure of it. Just like her father, she was living on borrowed time.

He pulled out his mobile and went through his numbers, one by one, wondering who would be the lucky guy to get this job. He needed somebody he could trust to do the job right. The men he'd sent to kill the Delaggios were just run of the mill hard boys, but for this he wanted somebody with a bit of creativity and finesse. This was the child of his new nemesis, after all, she would deserve speciall attention. After a few minutes he saw the name of somebody he hadn't used in a while, but who would be more than perfect. He hit the dial key.

"Good evening, Miss Veselovsky."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 5**

By Friday morning, Jane was thoroughly regretting having invited Maura on a second date. Not only because her mother hadn't stopped pestering her about it all week, but also because two more of Paddy's workers had turned up dead. They were inconsequential dock workers, but after the initial investigation they had been seen for what they were, gory wordless messages to Paddy Doyle. Jane was starting to suspect they had a gang war on their hands, which could only mean the body count was going to rise in the next few weeks.

Gang wars were a homicide detective's nightmare. People like Paddy hired Hitmen to do their dirty work, men who could enter a home, shoot someone in cold blood and then leave like they'd done nothing more than popped round for a coffee. At least if they had there would be some trace of them left behind. As it was, Hitmen were like ghosts, if you hired a good one. They could cover their tracks so well it was like they were never there in the first place. Their only motive was money, and of course even if you did manage to catch one, you'd never find out who ordered the hit.

There would be almost nothing for Jane and Frost to do but clean up the bodies and hope that someone had seen something. They never had.

It seemed like an incredibly stupid idea to have dinner with the daughter of the man who was at the centre of your investigations, and yet in approximately ten hours, Jane would be doing just that. For the second time in as many weeks. She groaned.

"You okay? I haven't heard you groan like that since your mother ran in here to apologise for discolouring your underwear." Vince Korsak was a middle aged man with greying hair and the paunch of an officer who had been behind a desk for too long. Despite that, he was a great guy and had taught Jane everything she knew about being a detective. He was almost like a father figure to her; a kooky, quirky father figure who would often leave the station and come back with some stray animal or other hidden under his coat. He had a big heart for bedraggled little creatures who needed help, and had in fact brought Jane and Joe Friday together. With some difficulty on Jane's part, admittedly.

Jane groaned again. "Have you ever felt like you've gone insane overnight? Just like that?"

"Of course, the morning after my wedding. But last I heard, you're not married, so what's up?"

Jane looked around the office for anybody listening. Deeming the coast clear, she said quietly, "I have a date tonight."

"Is she a little on the rough side? Is that why we're whispering?" Korsak grinned.

"What? No! She is not! She's..." Jane mumbled the rest.

"She's what?"

"Maura Doyle..." Jane muttered through gritted teeth.

"Are you kidding me?!" Korsak almost shouted.

"Shut up!" Jane hissed, "I don't want the whole station to know!"

Korsak quietened his voice, "You're damn right, if this gets back to the higher ups you're going to be in a lot of trouble, and not just from the good side. Paddy Doyle won't like his daughter going around with a cop. He'll think you're up to something." There was a pause before Korsak asked, "_Are_ you up to something?"

"No!" Jane replied, indignant, "Do you really think I'd whore myself out like that?"

"We're on the brink of a gang war, I don't know what to think any more." Korsak murmured. It was a sobering thought for any police officer, no matter how long he or she had been in the game. Jane fiddled with the papers on her desk.

"So you think I should call it off?" She finally asked.

"I think you should be careful, and take extra care of yourself." He lightly patted her shoulder, "I'm heading down the coffee shop, want anything?"

"Nah, I'm good. Don't get yourself into trouble with that waitress, she looks like she could chew you up and spit you out." Jane grinned when Korsak turned red and hurried off. He hadn't known Jane was onto him about his frequent visits to the coffee shop.

Jane sat back and pushed her hands through her wild hair. She was walking on very thin ice right now, and she knew it. What she hated most about her situation was that she knew how precarious it was, and still she couldn't resist pushing the boat. It was just in her nature to go against the set rules, it always had been. She'd been a tearaway since the day she could toddle around the hand knitted rug her grandmother had made and passed down to Angela (Angela had passed it on to Jane, who had found a nice little place for it at the back of her closet, out of sight). Becoming an officer of the law hadn't changed that, it had merely given her a way to channel that rebellious streak into something that benefited people rather than caused havoc.

She was fairly certain this latest deviation from the rules was not going to work in anybody's favour, least of all her own. And yet she just couldn't stop herself from doing what she shouldn't.

* * *

Maura was uncharacteristically nervous. Not about seeing Jane again, no, she was rather looking forward to that. It was Jane's mother whom she was apprehensive about meeting. Jane had said enough about Angela Rizzoli for Maura to know she was a great mother, and the kind of person who was never far from her children's sides, no matter what they did. She was the kind of mother Maura had often dreamed about and, irrationally, Maura was nervous about disappointing her.

She checked herself over one last time, picking imaginary lint from her clothes (a shimmering gold blouse and a black pencil skirt) and smoothing her impeccably neat hair down. "Okay," she told herself, "I am ready." Carrying a bottle of the finest wine she could get hold of, she made the long trek to Jane's apartment, which was on the second to last floor of the building Jane had directed her to. The apartment block was in a fairly nice area – not quite as up-scale as Maura's neighbourhood, but still nice – but as with most unmonitored blocks, the elevator was out of service, so Maura's calves were getting a thorough workout as she climbed the endless flights of stairs.

She could feel heart palpitating at an increased speed as she neared Jane's floor, and she tried to implicate the calming techniques used by Tibetan monks to counteract the anxiety. It had little effect, and when she finally reached Jane's door her unease had been cranked up to eleven. She almost didn't want to knock.

Her father's past words came back to her: _You are a Doyle, and Doyles aren't afraid of anything. _She didn't feel much like a Doyle right now, but then again, she never had. Still, she steeled herself and lightly rapped her knuckles on the door, holding the bottle of wine to her chest like a shield.

She heard muffled arguing and it sounded like there was some kind of scuffle happening on the other side of the door, and then it swung open to reveal a stocky woman with strawberry blonde hair and swiftly calculating eyes. Maura was aware that she was being looked over and judged so she held her head high and tried to smile bravely.

Jane was stood behind her mother, looking a little flustered but thankfully, glad to see her. Now she just had to get through the door, and that seemed to entail meeting Angela's approval. A good minute went by before Angela turned to her daughter and said, "Janey! Why didn't you tell me she was gorgeous! Come in, Doctor, don't mind my daughter, she has terrible manners." Angela moved aside to admit Maura, who was feeling very relieved.

"Ma, stop telling people I have bad manners! I don't!" Jane protested.

"Of course you do, you didn't even invite the poor girl in!"

"Because you were – you know what, never mind," Jane shook her head, Maura had only just arrived and she and her mother were already at loggerheads. "Can you go check on the food?" Angela stared at her daughter, clearly waiting for something. "Please?" Jane quickly added.

Angela nodded, "It'll be done soon. You two go settle, talk!" She bustled away, leaving Jane and Maura alone.

"So...you made it!" Jane awkwardly started.

Maura chuckled, "Your mother is wonderful, and whatever she's making smells divine."

"She'll be happy to hear that, but I guarantee you won't think she's so wonderful by the end of the night." Jane laughed, "We should do what she says, she'll be checking on us in about two minutes." They sat on Jane's well worn sofa, and true to Jane's words, Angela popped her head in to ask them if they would like some wine.

"Oh! I brought this," Maura held up her bottle, "Its a delicious blend, one of my favourites." Angela took it from her with a smile.

"That's so thoughtful of you. Janey, isn't that thoughtful of Dr Doyle?"

"Yes, Ma," Jane sighed, "Very thoughtful." She hoped it really was a delicious blend, because she had a feeling she'd be drinking a lot of it just to get through the evening.

When Angela left them again, Maura smiled at her, "I can see how much she loves you." She said.

"So that's what all those insults mean..." Jane smiled, "She's not all bad, she can just be a little difficult to take all at once."

They lapsed into silence for a few minutes before Maura said, "I always wondered what it would be like to have a mother like yours," She was looking at her clasped hands which rested on her crossed knees, "She's how I would have liked my mother to be."

Jane could sense that this was a very personal admission for Maura, and one that she obviously didn't talk about with most people, if any. She placed her hand over Maura's and squeezed gently, reassuringly, until Maura looked up and met her gaze. "I can put mine in a doggy bag for you before you leave, if you want?"

Maura laughed, the sadness gone from her features, "Jane!" she admonished.

Jane smiled at her. Their hands were still together, but now her thumb had begun to lightly caress Maura's knuckles. Maura's hands were so smooth and dainty, and looked particularly small in Jane's. But if the rumours that circulated at the hospital were anything to go by, she could do magnificent things with them.

Without realising, each of them had leaned towards the other, until their foreheads were almost together. They were both smiling, but now there was an undercurrent of something else between them, something warm that drew them closer until their lips were almost touching.

"Dinner's served!" came Angela's voice from the dining room, and both women turned away from the almost kiss and chuckled.

"Ma certainly picks her moments..." Jane muttered, reeling from all the emotions swirling around inside her.

Maura nodded her agreement. She looked somewhat vulnerable, like she'd lain herself bare and was not sure she had done the right thing. Jane didn't know how to reassure her so instead she stood and held out her hand to Maura.

"Might I escort the lady to dinner?" she gallantly asked with a grin.

"Why yes, that would be wonderful." Maura replied, playing along. She took Jane's hand and allowed herself to be led to the dining room. She was grateful for the helping hand, because after the emotional roller coaster she had just ridden – much like the one Jane had experienced – she wasn't sure she could have stood alone.

* * *

"Now you promise you'll tell me if Janey doesn't behave herself, Doctor, her mother will sort her out."

Maura chuckled at Angela's serious expression. She had one of Maura's hands clasped between her own and had uttered the request in a stage whisper that Jane could obviously hear. Jane rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Of course, Miss Rizzoli, I'll tell you immediately." She promised.

"And Janey!" Angela turned to her only daughter with as stern an expression as she could muster, "You be good!" She turned back to Maura and gave her a tight hug. Angela had a sixth sense when it came to her children's dates, and she could see from the off that this one was a keeper. She would do all she could to welcome Maura to the family. It was about time Jane found someone who would stick by her side. Angela knew it wouldn't be easy for anyone to stand by and watch their partner leave in the morning without any guarantee they would return. But she saw something in Maura that made her believe she was the one. She really hoped so, for Janey's sake.

Angela made her goodbyes and left. Jane and Maura stood in awkward silence for a moment before Maura spoke. "The dinner was delicious, thank you for inviting me."

"You're, um, welcome. Uh, would you like a coffee?" This was a weird situation for Jane. She hadn't gone on a lot of dates, and certainly hadn't had any in her own home. She wasn't sure what to say or do. She didn't possess the talent for hosting, so she was essentially winging it at this point.

"Ooh, yes, please," Maura said pleasantly, aware of Jane's current dilemma. It was cute that somebody who seemed so tough could be so flustered and unsure of herself. "I'll make it, just show me where the appliances are." She smiled.

When they were both sat on Jane's sofa, nursing their coffees, Jane remembered something. "Luke Delaggio...are you still taking care of him?"

If Maura was surprised by the question she didn't show it. "Not any longer. A couple from Montana, friends of mine who can't have any children of their own have agreed to take him into their home. As of yesterday they began the adoption proceedings. I believe he will be very happy there."

Jane couldn't hide her surprise as well as Maura. "Wow...you're a regular Florence Nightingale, aren't you?" The look of confusion on Maura's face was not what she had been expecting.

"Florence Nightingale was a nurse from the eighteen hundreds who treated and cared for the sick. I'm not sure how I relate.."

"No, I mean...never mind." Jane chuckled, "You're nice, is all, its...surprising."

"Ah, you thought all the Doyles were a bad bunch." Maura guessed. There was no reproach in her voice, only humour.

"Yeah, kinda," Jane laughed, "But you're sort of...amazing." she added.

Maura blushed a little, "Thank you."

"And you're beautiful..." Jane murmured, relieving them both of their coffees and then leaning in to steal the kiss they had been denied earlier.

It was different this time. Unlike the fiery exchange their previous encounters had been, this was slow, soft and probing. They kissed like they had all the time in the world. Before long Jane was pulling Maura to her and lying back on the couch until the Doctor was lay atop her, their kiss unbroken and still unhurried. Jane's hands caressed Maura's face, her neck and her back in ways that were not quite sexual, but entirely sensual and laced with feeling.

It was almost as if they were teenagers kissing and exploring for the first time. Eventually Jane tired of her place underneath Maura and manoeuvred them both until Maura was half underneath her and trapped against the back of the couch. It was a very intimate position and each of them realised it, though they were both reluctant to talk about what it meant right now.

When the couch began to feel too small, Jane rose and pulled Maura up with her. She led them to the bedroom where her huge king size bed stood looking messy and dishevelled, which is exactly how Jane had left it that morning. She made a sheepish apology.

"Its fine." Maura chuckled, then she pulled Jane back to her and resumed their kiss before falling backwards onto the crumpled sheets. Jane followed her down, grinning.

Easily taking the lead, Jane worked her way through the buttons of Maura's blouse, popping them one by one to reveal more and more of Maura's creamy skin. She smoothed her hand over the toned stomach and along one side along Maura's ribs, feeling the Doctor shiver beneath her and whimper into her mouth. It was a powerful feeling, knowing that she could elicit such a response with a simple stroke of her hand, and she only wanted more.

Maura's silky bra was the handy kind that fastened at the front, so Jane unclipped the offending garment and pulled each cup aside to reveal breasts that she could only describe as magnificent. They were so perfectly formed, the light pink nipples standing out against the pale skin which had pebbled in the cool night air. Jane cupped one mound in her hand and gently caressed, feeling the hard peak brush insistently against her palm. She could feel Maura's heart through it, like drum beats that were increasing in pace the longer she caressed.

No longer satisfied with Maura's lips, as delectable as they were, Jane trailed kisses along her jaw and down the side of her neck, which emanated Maura's scent stronger than anywhere else. Jane basked in the smell for a moment, enjoying it, savouring it, until Maura started to utter her name, a note of impatience in her tone.

Chuckling, Jane continued her journey, laying kisses along Maura's shoulder and collarbone until she finally closed her mouth over a waiting nipple. Maura gasped at the contact, pushing her chest outwards as if trying to get more of herself into Jane's mouth. Jane was making it worth the wait, her tongue stroking and flicking and circling whilst her teeth held the nipple captive. The mixture of pleasure and pain was intoxicating, and Maura was being very vocal about how much she liked it.

The nipple was red and swollen when Jane finally released it, so she took mercy and caressed it more gently with her lips, tugging and massaging the little bud with a tenderness that Maura somehow felt wasn't the Detective's usual modus operandi. She'd expected their lovemaking to be fierce and feral, like it almost had been at Maura's house. But this, this was something else, and Maura was surprised to find that she wouldn't have liked it to be any other way.

Jane was getting a little impatient now, and she began to inch Maura's skirt along her thighs, taking her underwear with it. When it was off she found that there was still too much material between them, so she stood and removed all of her own clothes, all the time looking at Maura hungrily, like she was a cool mountain spring in the middle of a desert wasteland. Maura stripped her blouse and bra from her shoulders and then lay back, opening herself up to Jane and offering her body in the most intimate way. When Jane crawled back over her and nestled her body between Maura's legs, there was a pause in which they both spent a moment contending with the explosive feelings inside them. Something was happening here tonight that would change everything, and they were already at the point of no return.

Jane began the slow thrusting dance that would eventually tip them both over the edge. She adjusted her hips until both she and Maura were getting the benefit of the position, and then captured the Doctor's lips once again. Maura's legs wound their way around Jane's thighs and she used all the strength she possessed to meet Jane stroke for stroke. They were panting into each other's mouths, already feeling the wave as it gathered in the pit of their stomachs. They slid against each other, the heat between them like a wildfire that just kept getting hotter and more frantic. Maura's hand's clutched at Jane's ass, leaving imprints where her fingernails dug into the soft flesh.

Maura was the first to explode, coming with a cry that was lost against Jane's neck, her body shuddering and twitching as she fought to hold onto the amazing feelings that tingled every nerve in her body. Jane continued to push, wringing out every last drop of Maura's orgasm before she came herself, her cry more like a growl that was muffled against the pillow underneath Maura's head. Her thighs jerked spasmodically as she came down from the ultimate high, the flesh between her legs pulsing and twitching. Wetness covered the inside of her thighs, a mixture of hers and Maura's.

She collapsed against the Doctor, trying to rest some of her weight on her arms so as not to squash the smaller woman. Maura was kissing her face, her neck, all the areas she could reach. She still had her legs wrapped around Jane, almost protectively. After a few minutes of recuperation, Jane moved off to the side, pulling Maura with her, encouraging the Doctor to snuggle up against her.

Maura did so, resting a hand on Jane's quivering stomach and proceeding to stroke the firm abs that were slightly damp with sweat. For the first time in her life she was speechless and unable to analyse every detail of the moment, and more astonishingly, she didn't feel the usual compulsion to. She was lying in the arms of a detective who probably wouldn't think twice about putting her father in jail if she had enough evidence against him, and yet she'd never felt more at home. She never wanted to leave, which was definitely something new.

Being so renowned in the criminal world had meant she'd had her pick of beautiful, intelligent women. As a friend she'd never been so popular, but as a lover she was pursued constantly by women who wanted a slice of her infamy, who wanted to be on her arm for no other reason than she was Paddy Doyle's daughter. She wasn't naïve, she'd never seriously dated any of them, but she'd had her fun.

What had happened tonight had been more than fun. Jane hadn't pursued her like the others had. Instead, Maura had been so captivated that she had been the one to chase this time, and now that she'd captured her prey, she didn't want to let it go. Suddenly she felt Jane's hand cover her own.

"You okay?" Jane sounded sleepy, which wasn't a surprise, really. So far Jane hadn't been very articulate in her phrasing, and Maura found she rather liked how the detective was a little rough around the edges.

"I'm perfect," she replied Then she picked up the hand that was covering hers and, just like she had done in the limo last week, she studied the scar there, tracing it with her fingers. Jane watched her a little warily. "You must have been terrified." Maura finally whispered.

Jane remained silent for a few moments, silently sizing Maura up and trying to decide if the doctor was merely looking for a weakness to exploit. She sounded sincere, and after what they had just shared, she was eager to believe Maura was being genuine.

"I was." she murmured, "Reporters used to turn up at my door and throw questions at me, like _How did it feel knowing you were about to die? _I never answered them, and at one point I got so frustrated I punched one right in the face." She chuckled at the memory. "The truth was, I wasn't afraid of dying, I never have been. I was afraid of the torture. I was afraid that he was going to hurt me so much that I would beg for mercy, and that would have been worse than death."

Maura stroked her thumb over the scar, wishing futilely that she could change the past. There was a part of this tall strong woman that had no doubt been damaged by her experience with Charles Hoyt, and she would give anything to fix what had been broken.

"Hoyt was a mad man. He loved weakness. He loved to bring the strongest of the strong to their knees, both physically and mentally. He usually went after couples so he could use them against each other. He fed off their fear and their weaknesses. I don't know why, but he took a shine to me. I was like his ultimate prize." Jane was talking out loud now, not particularly to Maura, just up at the ceiling, throwing the words out as if she was still trying to work everything out.

"He sent me tapes, describing what he wanted to do to me. He wanted me to fear him. It gave him a sense of power, I guess. He got me in the end, tricked me with an anonymous call from some woman who we never found in the end. It was my fault, if I hadn't have been so gullible..."

"Hey," Maura chastised, "You were just a rookie, you couldn't be expected to get it right the first time." She kissed the palm of Jane's hand gently, brushing her lips over the repaired skin. "I think you are very brave."

"Brave, stupid, I think they're the same thing." Jane chuckled.

"Hmm, is your birthday going to occur any time soon?"

"Uh, no..." Jane replied, confused now.

"That's quite a shame, because you are in desperate need of a dictionary, Detective." Maura smirked.

"Oh, hush, you." Jane said with a kiss.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

When Jane woke the next morning, it was to the delicious sensation of Maura's fingers between her legs, lightly stroking her body to life. The woman herself was hovering over Jane, smiling and obviously watching for her reactions. Jane pulled her down for a kiss and lifted her hips against Maura's hand, seeking more contact against her awakening flesh.

Maura teased her mercilessly until Jane growled her name disapprovingly, and then she tipped the Detective over the edge, admiring the way Jane's muscles tensed and relaxed convulsively. She was undoubtedly a strong woman, this tall, dark Detective, but after the night before, Maura knew there was a soft soul deep inside of her, a tender lover who waited patiently to be released from her protective cage.

She drew a line of Jane's essence from her sex, meandering along the subtle muscles of her stomach and up between the valley of her breasts, where she lifted her finger to trace Jane's lips. Playing along, Jane sucked the digit into her mouth and swirled her tongue around it, tasting herself. Before long, Maura pulled her hand away and replaced it with her lips, her tongue meeting Jane's so that she could share in the taste of her lover.

Jane was quite aware that Maura was swollen and dying for release, because the smaller woman had her leg thrown over Jane's, and she could feel the heat of Maura's sex against her thigh. The temptation to do something about it was just too great, so Jane easily inverted their positions, laying Maura beneath her and kissing her fiercely before settling her shoulders between the Doctor's legs.

She'd known Maura was feeling the need, but she was unprepared for just how wet and ready she was. Dark pink folds enveloped an even darker clitoris, which pulsed along with Maura's heartbeat and looked fit to burst if Jane didn't do something about it soon. Wetness glistened in the morning light, glinting off the hairless outer lips that were tinged pink, standing out in stark contrast to the pale skin of Maura's thighs.

Jane could smell Maura's natural scent, the essence of her, could feel the heat coming from her core. She started slow, kissing the inside of Maura's thighs, brushing her lips over the smooth mound before wrapping her lips around the turgid flesh of Maura's sex. She tugged playfully with her lips, sucking for split seconds and then releasing her hold. Her tongue teased the individual folds, darting between them, tickling the silky edges, pushing them apart so that she could dance the tip around the grasping entrance beneath. More than once she felt Maura's muscles clamp down on the tip of her tongue, wanting it, needing it further inside. Jane obliged now and then, sliding in as deep as she could manage and sliding back out again, enjoying the way Maura's muscles tried to keep her inside.

"J-Jane...enough..." Maura pleaded, and Jane chuckled, replacing her tongue with two long slim fingers that were welcomed into Maura's body with a strong squeeze of velvet walls. She hooked them towards herself, massaging the area behind the Doctor's clit whilst her tongue mirrored the movement on the outside. She could feel Maura struggling to hold back, and she wasn't having that. She increased her pace both inside and out, enjoying Maura's sharp intake of breath and sudden shiver. She was close, so close, and then she was falling, throwing her head back and crying out, her hands clutching the rumpled bedsheets, her knuckles white.

There was nothing more beautiful to Jane than watching a woman come, and Maura was no exception. In fact, Jane couldn't recall seeing a more beautiful sight. The Doctor's neck was flushed, her breasts rose and fell with her pants and her stomach rolled as she undulated against Jane's mouth and fingers. It was a powerful feeling to have brought Maura to this moment once more, and all she could think about was doing it again and again.

She crawled back up and lay her head beside Maura's, watching her come down. There were feelings inside her that she couldn't quite explain, but she pushed them to the back of her mind, leaving them for later. This moment seemed too perfect to spoil right now.

But, as with most things, nothing could last forever, and Jane could feel her stomach beginning to rumble, growling for breakfast. She leaned over Maura, who had her arm crossed over her face, still recovering from her orgasm.

"Hey," Jane whispered, "You hungry?" Subconsciously, she stroked Maura's stomach as she talked, feeling the last trembles as the muscles finally relaxed beneath her hand.

"Ravenous," Maura replied, taking her arm away to reveal that mischievous glint of hers.

Jane grinned, "Not that kind of hungry, and you know it," She chuckled, her voice extra husky from sleep. "I'm talking about breakfast." Unable to resist, she stole quick kisses from Maura's lips in between sentences.

"Hmm, are you going to cook?" Maura wondered.

"Not a chance," Jane laughed, "There's a nice café around the corner, I'm going to go grab some take out." Reluctantly, she got up and left the bed, walking naked across the room to her closet where she began to grab whatever clothes she could find and pull them on.

Maura watched her, secretly pleased that Jane was not shy about her body around her. It was quite a treat to watch all those muscles rippling as the Detective stretched and dressed herself, and Maura was not shy about watching her either.

"The shower's through there if you want to use it," Jane said, coming back to the bed to lean down and take one last kiss, which lasted a lot longer than it was meant to. "I'll be back soon."

* * *

Whilst Jane was getting breakfast, Maura decided to take advantage of her shower offer. She smelled strongly of sex, and even though the scent was pleasant enough to her, eventually she would have to venture outside where it would not be received so well by the general public. As she was getting out of bed, however, her phone began to ring from the other room. She hurried through and fished inside her handbag for it, recognising the tone.

"Duke?"

"Miss Doyle? Is it safe to talk?" Duke was Paddy's main bodyguard and almost never left her father's side. For him to be calling her meant something seriously bad had happened.

"Yes. Is it my father?" She asked. There was an odd feeling in her chest, like she wasn't sure what she wanted to hear next.

"No, he's fine. Its Mickey Davis this time." Maura was stunned. Mickey Davis was a police desk jockey whom Paddy had managed to get onside, first with hefty bribes and then eventually subtle blackmail until he was practically working for Paddy full time. He was what her father called a tame cop, an officer that had been cultivated to suit his needs. Paddy often used him to get information that only those with a badge could get to.

"Paddy was meeting with him at the usual place to talk over what the police have got so far on who's trying to fuck us over. He didn't have much that we don't already know, but right in the middle of the meet he got sniper'd. I got your father out of there quick smart, but this has shook him up. Whoever this motherfucker is has got absolutely no worries about bringing some real heat down on themselves."

Maura listened, for the first time feeling worried about herself. Duke was right. Whoever was ordering these hits was serious business, and obviously trying to get to Paddy by cutting everybody who was useful to him out of the equation until he had nothing left. She was fully aware that as his daughter, she was no doubt going to be in the firing line at some point. It was only a matter of time. And even worse, if this rival didn't have any qualms about killing law enforcement, she was putting Jane in danger just by being near her.

"Is my father at his safe house?"

"Yes, we just got here. We'll be staying underground until we have some idea who's behind all this. I suggest you do the same, Miss Doyle."

Maura was nodding even though the bodyguard couldn't see her. "Thankyou, Duke." She ended the call and began to dress, feeling a great sadness settle on her shoulders at what she had to do. She collected all of her things together and then paused beside Jane's bed. She picked up the pillow that Jane's head had been lay on all night and buried her face in its softness. She inhaled deeply, taking in Jane's scent, hoping it would get her through the lonely nights ahead.

She left quickly, replaying the same sentence in her head like a mantra. _Its for the best._

* * *

Jane was just walking through her door when her phone began to buzz. Cursing, she dropped her takeaway bags on the nearest table and answered it, fairly certain she knew who it was.

"Rizzoli."

"Jane, we got another one." Frost sounded even more grave than usual.

"Damn it," Jane replied, realising that her second date with Maura was officially over.

"That's not the worst of it," Frost continued, "Its one of ours."

That halted Jane in her tracks. "Tell me this isn't related to the gang war case..."

"Sorry, but it turns out our guy was working for Paddy. He was meeting him this morning when a sniper took him out."

Jane cursed under her breath. "Who was it?"

"Mickey Davis."

Jane sighed. Mickey Davis worked in Vice, the drug-related crime squad. It made sense to any criminal who had a hand in the drugs trade to have a vice cop on board. But Jane had never suspected for one second that Mickey was a double agent. He'd always been such a normal, generally quiet guy. He had a family, a big house with a white picket fence, the whole shebang. Now she understood just where all the money to pay for his assets had come from. It brought home just how easy it was to fall for the front that some people put on, and highlighted the fact that you could never fully trust anybody, not even your law enforcing colleagues.

"All right, send me the coordinates, I'll be there as soon as I can." She rang off and headed for the bedroom, calling Maura's name softly. She felt a sudden sense of doom, like she wouldn't like what she was going to find on the other side of the door. She shrugged it off as nothing, but when she pushed her bedroom door open it was immediately obvious that she as alone in the house. Every last bit of Maura Doyle was gone.

Jane massaged her brow and tried valiantly to contain the pain that seemed to be expanding in her chest. She should have known somebody with Maura's parentage wouldn't be the type to stick around after the main event, especially when you were dealing with a cop. How could she have been so stupid? She'd actually believed there was something more between them, something deeper, but it had obviously been an act. No doubt Maura was laughing now about how she'd bagged someone from the other side of the fence.

She remembered with a flush of embarrassment how she'd poured her heart out to Maura about Hoyt. She'd practically lain herself bare in front of the woman, thinking wrongly that Maura could be trusted, that she actually cared. _She probably got off on the thought of a frightened cop, _she thought bitterly.

After a moment, Jane squared her shoulders, the hurt inside her having been forced down into a tiny ball that she locked away, vowing to use it later when she was slapping handcuffs on every member of the Doyle family. She promised that no matter what, she would get them all.

* * *

Paddy Doyle could not quite work out where he had gone wrong. But then, he hadn't gone wrong, Duke had simply betrayed him. He had trusted that man with his life, and the idiot had served him up on a silver platter without a seconds thought. He briefly wondered how much the bodyguard had been offered to give up his master. It was a moot point, at any rate, because as soon as Paddy had been delivered to his current captors, they had blown Duke's brains all over the inside of Paddy's limo.

Paddy had been covered in bits of flesh and shattered bone, and was mildly grateful that they had stripped him and given him a jumpsuit to wear instead of his blood soaked suit. Only mildly, however, considering they'd then shoved him in a bare brick shed-like building with blacked out windows and nothing of anything resembling basic needs except a bucket, which he realised was his toilet. It was a squalid place, all right, and Paddy was well aware of the scare tactic they were trying to use on him. Devoid of his basic human rights, they would be expecting him to break and eventually beg for death. He knew that things would get worse the longer he refused to do just that, but he was a Doyle, and Doyles weren't afraid of anything.

He thought about Maura then, and wondered if Duke knew where her safe house was. His daughter had always been a private person, and a shrewd one at that. Paddy didn't know the location, but then there were few things he did know about Maura. He admitted to himself that he had never gotten to know her the way he should have, the way a father should get to know his children, but she had always been so different from him and his ways.

Sure, he'd pulled her into the business, given her duties that would wake her up to the world that she might someday inherit and showed her how it worked. She'd always obliged him and done as he asked, but never out of any particular love for the life they were part of, but more out of family duty. His Maura had a good heart inside her, he knew that, even if she thought she had hidden it from them all. He was not completely blind. But he'd only done what he thought was best for her. The world was dangerous, not only for people like him any more, but for civilians too. In his own haphazard way, he loved his daughter and wanted only to make sure she could protect herself from the harms that might come her way. He had taught her to face them head on, to always have the bigger army, to be one step ahead of your enemies at all times.

Fat lot of good that had done him in the end. He'd made a cardinal mistake. He'd believed he was untouchable, that his men were untouchable and incapable of treachery. Well, he'd learned his lesson now. Too bad it was far too late to do anything about it.

* * *

When Jane and Frost arrived at the station after spending the whole morning at the most recent crime scene, it was apparent that the whole place was in pandemonium. People were running in and out of the building, rushing along the corridors carrying papers and avoiding eye contact with everybody around them. When the detectives walked into their own department, they soon figured out why.

Internal Affairs had swarmed the place. Everybody who had even the slightest link to the Paddy Doyle case was being questioned, which meant both Jane and Frost would be called out at some point in the day. Frost would no doubt be in the clear without question. But Jane knew she didn't stand a chance, not if she stuck to the truth. Jane was a menace for breaking the rules, but she was no liar.

For the time being, she and Frost kept to their desks, as ordered by the IA investigators. Like everybody else, they caught up on paperwork and avoided talking to anybody. When it was Jane's turn to be interviewed, she rose from her desk with a heavy heart, knowing that she was potentially about to end her career. _And all for nothing, _she thought bitterly, recalling how it had felt to return to an empty house that morning.

Feeling as if she was walking to the guillotine, Jane waked into her boss' office where the interviews were being held. She sat, taking in the two investigators with a wary eye. One was a lanky, fair haired guy with sunken in cheeks and dull eyes whilst the other was an all business woman with a steel grey bun and thin rimless glasses. They were a no nonsense branch of the law, and every officer's worst nightmare.

Jane couldn't help but feel like she was fifteen again and making one of her endless visits to the principal's office. Technically the whole concept was no different, except now the consequences were much more serious.

"Detecive Jane Rizzoli?" the woman spoke whilst the man noted down the conversation. It was obvious to Jane just whom was wearing the pants here.

"Yeah." Jane replied, deciding to go with the short and sweet approach.

"I am Investigator Janet Hardy, this is my colleague, Andrew Wilkes. In light of recent events we have been called in by your superiors in order to verify that your station is clear of any other corruption. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," Jane replied with a too sweet smile.

* * *

When Jane left the office an hour later, she had been relieved of her gun and badge. Frost met her gaze with barely disguised shock in his expression. She shook her head lightly, telling him not to ask her yet, not whilst the IA were watching.

She had been suspended indefinitely, pending further investigation. It was what she had expected, but it had still come as a blow. Putting her badge down on the table had been like ripping off a limb, so much was her job a part of her. The gun had not been nearly as painful because she had her own gun back at her apartment, and she had a licence to carry it.

She collected her things from her desk in silence, and then had to endure the embarrassment of being escorted out of the building by her own uniformed colleagues. She kept her head held high. She was innocent of any skulduggery, but she understood that, with the current crisis, everybody was on red alert.

That didn't make walking away any easier, of course, but there was nothing more she could do.

* * *

"I asked you a question, Miss Covas, perhaps you did not understand it?" Irina Veselovsky was a patient woman, but more importantly she was a sadistic individual with a real flair for torture. It was the second trait that Daniel Grady Sr had hired her for, and so far she had been an extremely good investment.

"I don't know what you're talking about..." Sophia spat, splattering blood all over Irina's shirt. She was looking the worst for wear already, and Irina had only been with her for an hour. The cable ties around her wrists were just a little too tight, and her feet had gone numb from lack of movement ages ago.

They were in a shipping container, though where it was, Sophia couldn't possibly say. She, Irina and the chair she had been strapped to were the only things in the container, all of which were lit by a small battery operated lantern that Irina had placed in the corner. It wasn't very bright, but it was enough to see that Irina Veselovsky must have had a hard life. Scars criss crossed a face that was as sharp as the charcoal grey eyes that studied Sophia without emotion. Her hair was as white as snow, but she didn't look to be over the age of twenty five.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Irina replied, nonchalantly backhanding Sophia across the face and splitting the other side of her bottom lip. Blood oozed from the new wound, dripping onto her once bright white polo shirt. She gritted her teeth against the pain, however, and didn't say a word.

"I know you were the one who modified the building for Miss Doyle's needs." Irina explained. "Your loyalty is admirable," she continued, her thick Russian accent as smooth as caramel, "But surely Miss Doyle is not worth such devotion." She pressed her palm to Sophia's face, the gesture almost loving, "So much time you have wasted in chasing her, when she saw you as nothing more than a fuckbuddy."

Sophia yanked her face away from Irina's hand, the torturer's words like physical blows to her already wounded heart. She had loved Maura, still loved her, and never had the Doctor returned those feelings. Maura liked her, there was no doubt about that, but it was obvious Sophia had never been more than a friend to the woman. A friend with benefits, yes, but a friend nonetheless.

She turned her head to the side, avoiding Irina's cruel eyes. But it was too late, the Russian had seen the hurt she had inflicted. Seen it, and enjoyed it immensely.

"Give me the location of her safe house, Miss Covas...give it to me, and I can get you the payback you deserve..."

It took only a moment to make her decision, and when she had, Sophia knew it was the one she would stick with until she went to her grave which, as far as she could tell, wasn't a particularly distant event. Her eyes were almost swollen shut, her nose was broken and she was covered in shallow cuts inflicted by Irina's favourite little switch-blade. She'd already taken so much, and she knew in her heart that if she didn't give Irina what she wanted, she would keep going, each torture more terrible than the last.

She squared her shoulders as best she could, took a deep breath – which made the couple of ribs Irina had jabbed into pieces feel like hot coals in her chest – and said what she believed were going to be her last words.

"Go to hell."

Irina tutted before delving into her back pocket where she kept her little tin box of tools. "You are a foolish woman, Miss Covas." She withdrew a needle like pin, about an inch in length with a wide cap on one end. Taking one of Sophia's fingers, which were red and swollen because of the extra tight cable tie keeping her hand down on the arm of the chair, she placed the sharp end of the pin just beneath Sophia's fingernail. "This is your last chance. Give me the location."

Sophia remained silent, her expression defiant. She tried to stay that way as the pin was pushed further under her nail, piercing the sensitive skin that lay beneath. It was like a hot iron had been inserted into the tip of her finger and the pain was way beyond intense. Sophia made a valiant effort, but as Irina pushed a second pin into the next finger, she began to scream.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 7**

The White Mountain national forest was knee deep in snow at this time of year, and Maura was glad she was on the inside of her cabin, which had heating running through each wall and under the floorboards in every room. There were five rooms in all, two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom, and each was tastefully luxurious without being over the top.

To say the cabin was big was an understatement. It was twice the size of Jane's apartment, and also boasted an underground bunker that Maura had had Sophia Covas construct for her when she'd first bought the place. Only she and Sophia knew of its whereabouts – she hadn't even trusted her father with that information – and so she felt as secure as she could ever be.

She looked out into the dark, at the twenty foot high ferns that surrounded the property, hiding it from all but those in the sky. She wasn't really seeing them, though. She was thinking about Jane, and wondering what the Detective must think of her now. _She probably hates me. _Maura hated herself, but it was much safer if Jane didn't know anything about her location. She found she feared more for Jane's safety than her own, and was only mildly surprised by that notion. _I care for her, that much is obvious. _But secretly she knew that it went a little deeper than _care, _that she had enjoyed making love to Jane, having Jane touch her in the most intimate ways, far more than she was ready to admit.

When it came to relationships, Maura's usual modus operandi was to keep her distance, because she knew that whoever she took up with would always be in danger from people who wanted to get at Paddy via her. It was an unfortunate side effect of being part of her father's world, and the one that made her wish most of all that she had never been born a Doyle. She didn't want to be alone, but she was loath to drag anybody into something that could potentially prove fatal.

Jane could take care of herself, there was no doubt about that, but this rival, whoever he or she was, had no qualms about killing a cop, and Maura wouldn't be able to live with herself if anything happened to the Detective because of her last name.

And so here she was, alone again, and wondering not for the first time if she would ever find true happiness.

* * *

Jane was getting ready for a power run when Frost knocked on her door the next day. She answered it and turned away without a word, placing her sneaker-clad foot onto the arm of her sofa and tying her laces. Frost had followed her in and now stood waiting for an explanation. He was her partner, and she owed him the truth.

"I'm not a dirty cop, if that's what you're thinking," Jane said straight away. Frost stayed silent, just waiting. Jane sighed. She told him everything, leaving out the more intimate details but giving him the bare bones of the situation nonetheless. When she finished, Frost sat down on her sofa, looking shell shocked.

"Damn...I had no idea."

Jane shrugged, "I only told Korsak." She was done with the conversation now, it was time to move on. "Are you still working the case?"

"Yeah, the higher ups are sending someone over from Vice to work with me until you're back." After a moment he added, "You will be back, won't you?"

Jane grinned, "Just as soon as they roll over and apologise for making a mistake."

Frost laughed. "Best get back to it. Take care of yourself, Jane. I'll see you soon."

Jane followed him out and went for her run, her feet pounding the pavement, working out all the frustrations of the day before. She powered through the park, taking barely any notice of her surroundings. She exited the park on the other side, which brought her onto the small road that bordered the Boston Harbour shipping yard.

The seagulls were out in full force, diving and cawing as they searched the rough sea for their breakfast. It was hardly a serene area, but Jane liked it. She liked the noise and the busy goings on as containers were loaded and unloaded. She stopped to catch her breath and stretch her legs, hanging on to the mesh fencing that surrounded the yard.

She watched as a container was lifted by the static crane in the middle of the yard. It was a huge beast, but then it had to be in order to lift the heavy containers. She was about to carry on when a green container was picked up and swung around by the fence on its way to the massive freighter at the docks. It passed within four feet of her, and she was more than shocked to hear a very human voice crying out from within the big metal structure.

Sprinting around to the open gate, she waved her arms at the crane operator. "Stop!" She shouted as loud as she could, "Put it down! BPD! Put the container down!" Jane reached for her badge before she remembered it had been confiscated. Growling, she continued to shout until the man did as she asked, more out of pure confusion than anything else.

He lowered the container to the ground. Jane didn't wait for him to meet her, she ran for the container's door and forced it open. She was more than a little disturbed at what she found. She turned to the man who was almost at her side and barked, "Call the police, ask for Frost, and then an ambulance, right now!" And then she was in the container where Sophia Covas had been left to die.

The woman was battered and bleeding. Her once sleek black hair was matted with blood and her face was almost unrecognisable. One of her arms was bent at an odd angle and when Jane looked closer, she could see that the tips of her fingers were caked in dry blood.

"Jesus Christ..." Jane breathed. She did her best to move Sophia into a more comfortable position. She managed to turn her onto her back and rest the poor woman's head on her thighs. She grabbed the water bottle that she kept strapped to her waist whenever she ran, and put it to Sophia's lips, encouraging her to drink. She did, but after a moment she coughed, bringing up most of what she'd drunk and more worryingly, a splash of blood. She was groaning in pain, the noise like that of a dying animal. She was in a very bad way.

"Sophia," Jane said, "Can you hear me? Its Detective Jane Rizzoli, do you remember me?" She was answered with groans, only slightly louder than before. "Who did this to you? Can you tell me that?"

One of Sophia's eyes opened, a startling glint of blue amongst the blackness of her bruised face. She opened her mouth a mere millimetre and rasped, "M..Mau...ra."

Jane's eyes opened wide. "Maura did this to you? Maura Doyle?"

"No!" Sophia gasped and then coughed, bringing up yet more blood. "Maur...a...tr..tr...ouble."

"Maura's in trouble?" Jane's head was spinning. _Maura's in trouble, I have to get to her. _Sophia's eye had closed again, and her breathing was becoming more laboured. "Sophia, listen to me, stay with me now," She lightly patted Sophia's face and the eye cracked open a little. "Where is she, Sophia, where's Maura?"

The eye rolled around in its socket, as if searching for the answer. "Wh-White Moun...tain, 4...4...7...1" Frost came barrelling in at that point with a youngish woman on his heels. The new partner, Jane assumed. She made to rise, lifting Sophia's head gently, but was stopped by the surprisingly firm grasp the woman had on her t-shirt. Jane looked down into eyes that were bright and alert for the first time since she'd walked into the container.

"What is it?" Jane quietly asked.

"I didn't give her up," Sophia said, her voice suddenly strong, "Tell her...tell her for me, I didn't give her up..." And then, as if that last outburst had completely soaked up all of her energy, Sophia's body shut itself down and she slipped into unconsciousness.

Jane was rendered numb for a second, and then she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I can take it from here." It was the woman, Frost's new partner. Jane didn't have time to take much of her in, but from her hasty assessment she got a tall, slim, Latina woman with a kind smile and brown eyes. Then she was up and heading out of the door. She didn't know how much time she had, but she wasn't going to dally and find out.

Frost's new partner took Jane's place at Sophia's side, placing the battered head on her lap. She lightly stroked the matted hair from the bruised face, all the while talking quietly about how the ambulance would be there soon.

Sophia awoke to the feeling of soft fingers on her skin and the gentle sound of somebody whispering to her. For a moment she forgot where she was and what had happened to her. The pain soon brought her back to reality, though, and she cracked open her eyes. She was looking up into the face of what was surely an angel. She did her best to smile, but it hurt and she was sure that her mouth wasn't really cooperating.

"Its okay, I've got you. Don't try to move." said the angel, and Sophia relaxed. "My name is Riley Cooper," she said softly, "and we're going to get you fixed right up."

* * *

Irina Veselovsky surveyed the grey skies above the White Mountain forests with annoyance. Snow was coming down in thick droves, so thick that she could barely see the trees from her rented lodge room window. The park rangers had issued a warning to all tourists, banning anybody from going out into the blizzard until they gave the O.K. She was no tourist, but even she was not crazy enough to chance the journey to Maura Doyle's safe house in this weather.

She fingered her toolbox in her pocket, thinking about all the ways she was going to torture Maura when she found her. Mr Grady had given her free reign with this one, and told her to use as many, if not all, of her tricks as she could. He had even gone as far as to say Irina could defile her body if she so wished. She wouldn't, because that wasn't her forte, but the fact that he wanted this Maura to suffer so much said a lot about his motives. She didn't know what these people had done to anger Mr Grady, but it wasn't her place to ask. He had paid her a hefty amount to get the job done and to do it as painfully and messily and as possible. It was a business transaction, nothing more. That didn't mean she didn't enjoy it, of course.

She had the coordinates written on a small piece of paper which was tucked inside her pocket. One of Mr Grady's go-betweens had called her with the information just as she was losing her patience with Sophia Covas. Such a shame that whole episode had been for nothing. Not that Irina really cared. She was getting paid no matter how she got what Mr Grady wanted. If there were a few unforeseen casualties in the meantime, it was neither here nor there as far as she was concerned.

There was nothing for her to do now except wait for the snow to stop, and since all the lodge fees would be going onto Mr Grady's tab, she was going to thoroughly enjoy her break from work.

* * *

Jane drove up the highway at a very illegal speed as she made her way to White Mountain Forest. She had a small bag sat on the passenger seat beside her, and in it she'd packed a few essentials, including her Smith and Wesson which was loaded and ready for action. She'd dressed in her warmest clothes, her bulletproof jacket hidden beneath them, just in case. She didn't know who she was going to be dealing with, but she knew they were incredibly dangerous.

In the back of her mind she knew she was being a complete idiot by going into an unknown situation with no back up, but what could she do? If she went to the station they would ground her, and then it might be hours before a decision was made about what to do. And even then, Jane might not like the answer. No, this was the only option. Maura needed help, and Jane found that she would take on hell or high water to get to her and keep her safe. It was a heady sensation, to realise that the Doctor had become so important to her. _When did that happen? _She silently wondered, only to remember how it had felt to make love to Maura, to kiss her and touch her body, to watch her as she climaxed...

She shook her head. This was no time to be fantasising. She had to keep her head, literally. She was doing over a hundred miles an hour and its was pelting it down outside. If she wasn't careful she could lose control. She didn't alter her speed, though. Maura's safety was more important than her own.

It was a couple of hours later when she reached the White Mountain lodge. Due to the snow, she'd had to abandon her car at the edge of the forest path and press on by foot. The lodge was about a kilometre away from the main road, and it took her another half hour to traverse it. When she did finally make it, she was more than a little frustrated to be told that nobody was allowed to leave the lodge unless they were heading down toward the road.

"I'm a detective, this is police business, I have to go out there!" she growled at the park ranger, who she could tell didn't quite believe what she was saying.

"Can I see your badge please?" he said, pleasant as can be.

Jane sighed. "No, I've been suspended for the time being, its a long story and I don't have time to tell it. I need to go, my friend is out there and she's going to need my help!"

"If your friend really is out there then I'm afraid you'll just have to trust the park rangers to find her for 's her name?"

"Maura, Maura Doyle."

"We have everybody out right now, looking for stragglers. They know the area. If she's out there, they'll find her. That's the best I can do, now excuse me..." He moved on, clearly happy to finally be away from Jane.

She scowled, determined to get her way. She looked around the lodge lounge, trying to think of an idea, when she saw another park ranger pull up on his snow mobile outside. A very bad idea manifested itself then, and she knew that once she put it into motion, there would probably be no going back. The thought of Maura in Sophia Covas' condition spurred her on, and she dashed outside before the ranger disappeared.

"Detective Rizzoli of the BPD! I need to borrow your vehicle, sir!" she barked, holding her hands out for the snow mobile's keys. He looked at her in suspicion.

"Do you have I.D. you can show me, ma'am?"

Jane hated when people called her _ma'am, _it made her seem so old. She could tell that the ranger wasn't going to hand anything over without her badge, so it was time for some good, old fashioned drastic measures. She pulled her gun from its concealed holster on the inside of her jacket and aimed it at the man, sorry for what she was doing but knowing she had no choice. "This is my I.D, now give me the keys." she said, her voice low and threatening.

Five seconds later she was careening into the trees, leaving the angry shouts of the park rangers behind and heading for Maura.

* * *

Irina put down the paper she had been hiding her face behind and watched the detective leave, mildly admiring her moxie. She realised that her job had just gotten slightly harder but that didn't bother her much, she was used to dealing with unpredictable circumstances. What bothered her was that she would have to cut her break short and follow the detective out into the blizzard now. She couldn't risk having her target move to a safer location.

She stood and walked out of the lodge, pulling on her black face-warmer that left nothing visible but her steely grey eyes. She pulled out her gun from its place in the back of her jeans and, without any hesitation, pulled the trigger on the next ranger to arrive on his snow mobile. The screams were deafening as the shot rang out around the lodge, but Irina ignored them as she mounted the vehicle and sped off after the detective.

She hadn't lost a single target in the twenty or so years she had been a hit-man for hire, and she wasn't about to break her winning streak now because of some renegade cop.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

The blizzard was beginning to clear when Jane stopped in an open clearing to get her bearings, but when she looked up at the sky it was clear that more was on the way. The clouds were still a threatening grey with no evidence of dispersing. If she didn't find Maura soon, it would be too dark to see a thing, even with the snow mobile's lights on full beam.

She cursed under her breath as she dismounted the vehicle, her hands practically frozen around the handles. Not for the first time she wished she'd doubled up on gloves, and everything else for that matter. She was freezing, and she knew that without some kind of shelter, she probably wouldn't survive the night. So it was imperative that she found Maura soon, for both their sakes.

Putting thought into practice, she pulled the mini GPS system she'd brought with her from her pocket and checked her location. She'd purchased the device about a year ago after a disappointing date with a woman she had known and liked since they were children. She'd never tell anyone but Jane was an ardent fan of retail therapy, and would scour the shopping channels whenever she'd had a particularly damning date.

_And look at me now, _she thought, _something I bought actually came in useful. Hear that, Ma? _She studied the display as it zoomed in on her position. She'd already preloaded the coordinates that Sophia had given her, and was happy to see the thick red line from her location to Maura's was not too long. According to the system, Maura was approximately two kilometres to the east. If Jane hadn't stopped to check she'd have carried on straight past her and ended up at the foot of White Mountain.

Happy now that she was almost home and dry, she slid the system back into her pocket and mounted her snow mobile. Just as she was about to turn the key, however, she heard the distinctive sound of another mobile crashing through the snow covered trees. Jane kept still and waited, aware that if she lit up her vehicle now she would be seen. It was probably a park ranger, and even though they were usually the good guys, Jane knew she wasn't exactly in their favour at the moment. So she waited for it to pass.

Unfortunately it seemed like the rider had much the same idea as she had, and she heard the engine slowing as the rider stopped. Jane could make out the faint lights of its headlamps about fifty metres away, and then they disappeared as the engine was killed.

The forest was silent for a few moments, and then Jane could faintly hear a woman's voice. How she was getting reception out here, Jane didn't know, but she crept closer, curious as to why the rider had felt it necessary to come all the way out here to make a phone-call.

"I need you to get me a location on the target and point me to it." Jane heard a distinctly Russian accent from the speaker. "Does Mr Grady pay you to make jokes? Because if you insist on continuing you may find you don't have a tongue to make them with." The speakers voice was dangerously calm, and Jane could tell it was not an empty threat. This was no park ranger, which could only mean one thing. Sophia's torturer had found Maura too.

"Who authorised this change of plan?" The woman asked, then after a minute, "Affirmative." She said, and then Jane heard a snap as the phone was clicked shut. Seconds later the woman's mobile roared to life and she began to move off. Jane whipped out her gun and shot at the vehicle. Lady Luck must have been with her that night because she heard a splutter and then the engine died again. She heard a Russian curse being uttered as the woman tried and failed to start the engine again. Jane wasn't going to hang around and find out what it meant. She'd lost her bearings again and didn't know which direction her snow mobile was in. It didn't matter, she had her GPS out and she was already running in the direction of Maura.

The snow was knee deep and she tried her best to stay on top of it but it was hard going. She didn't know if she was being followed by the woman and she didn't stop to find out. She did her best to conceal the light emanating from her Sat-Nav and pressed on, hoping she was at least ahead of the sadist.

Unfortunately for Jane, Irina was a smart woman, and as the detective made her way to their mutual destination, the Russian followed at a distance, keeping her eye on the soft glow made by Jane's GPS system.

Over an hour later, just as Jane's legs were beginning to give up and buckle underneath her, she could see a distant orange glow through the trees. She didn't know if it was where Maura would be, but she did know that she couldn't feel anything below her knees and she was shivering so hard it felt as if her brain was knocking around her skull. Darkness had set in and she had to find shelter fast.

She pushed her legs to their limit as she made for the light, hoping against hope that Maura would be there. Then, just as she was getting closer, she heard several shots ring out behind her. She didn't turn as she pulled out her gun and fired a couple of shots in return, she kept on and on until she could see what must be the hugest log cabin in existence. And there, at the main window that formed most of the front wall of the building, was a silhouette that looked strikingly familiar. It disappeared as Jane hobbled into the light coming from the huge window, and then Maura was meeting her at the door, pulling her inside, lowering her gently as Jane's legs finally gave way.

"Jane! Jane, you're bleeding! What-"

"The door," Jane tried to shout but her voice was weak, "Lock the door..." And then she was lapsing into unconsciousness, Maura's face being the last thing she saw before she closed her eyes.

* * *

Jane awoke to a terrible burning pain in the back of her right leg. She was lay on her front and, startlingly, she was naked but for a too short robe that thankfully felt warm and dry. She felt soft fingers on her searing leg and groaned in pain.

"Stay still, Jane, I'm almost finished..." Jane felt the unmistakable sensation of her skin being sewn together, but she lay still as Maura had asked, her teeth gritted against the pain. When Maura was finally done and had wrapped her calf with a bandage, she turned herself over, her muscles protesting so painfully it made her feel a bit nauseas.

"Don't move too much," Maura soothed, pushing her down and sitting beside her on the bed. The Doctor gently stroked the hair out of her face and caressed her jaw. "What are you doing here?" She asked, but there was no reproach in the question, only tenderness.

Jane remembered then that there was still a sadistic hit-man – woman – running around outside, and she shot up, ignoring the burn of her injured body. "There's a woman outside! She's here for you! We've gotta go, now!"

"Jane! Jane, its okay. The cabin is in lock-down. Nothing and no-one is getting in here. We're safe."

Jane fell back onto the pillows in relief. "I came here to keep you safe...and instead you're the one doing all the saving." She sighed, "What happened to my leg, anyway?" The pain was a dull ache now, and she felt more relaxed than she had been in days.

"You had a bullet in the back portion of your crus. I removed it and applied sutures." Maura explained.

"I had a bullet in my where?" Jane blurted, nonplussed.

Maura chuckled, "In your calf muscle." She elaborated.

"Oh...I didn't even feel it."

"You have second degree frostbite, Jane, I'm surprised you were even managing to walk." Maura said, an unmistakable tone of worry in her voice, "You are either very foolish, or very brave." She muttered.

"I'm pretty sure its the first." Jane grinned weakly. She tugged at Maura's sleeve. "Come here," She whispered. It had only been a few days since she'd kissed Maura goodbye and gone for breakfast. But as their lips came together, it was as if they had not touched each other in years. They kissed desperately and fervently, Jane taking the lead even though Maura was above her. She wanted to bite, to caress, to suck and lick Maura's lips in a show of possession. She hadn't realised until this moment that she'd been drowning, and Maura was her much needed oxygen. She began to pull Maura atop her, but the Doctor halted her progress.

"You're injured," Maura chuckled, "You need rest."

"I need _you," _Jane whined with an all too cute puppy-dog expression on her face.

"And you will have me," Maura assured as she fiddled with the hem of Jane's still too-short robe, her eyes glinting with barely disguised lust, "But not until you're in a lot less pain."

Jane scowled, but it was hard to keep it up as Maura brushed her fingertips under the robe and skated them around to the inside of her thigh, almost touching her where she needed it most. Jane tried to thrust her hips up to meet Maura's fingers but immediately gave up with a groan when her muscles screamed at her to stop.

"See," Maura grinned, "You're not ready."

"You're a cruel woman, Dr. Doyle." Jane said, but she was smirking despite the ache between her legs.

"Only when dealing with impatient patients, Detective." Maura chuckled.

* * *

Irina was severely pissed off. She'd been a mere three metres away when Doyle had implemented the lock down that had brought all the hidden shutters down over every window and wall. Now she was locked out in the cold with no shelter but the trees, which didn't do much to keep the biting wind off her face. She was freezing, and she knew the temperature was going to drop further as the night wore on.

She was a survivor, but up until this point her territory had been the city streets. She could pick the lock on almost any door she came up against, but in the forest there were no doors, only miles and miles of trees. And snow, lots of snow.

She'd already scouted out every inch of the fortified cabin, looking for a way in, but the Covas woman had done an exemplary job. Not even a tank could smash through those shutters, and there were no locks to pick. She supposed there must be some way of disabling the lock down from the outside for safety reasons, but if there was she hadn't found it. She was well and truly out in the cold.

She paced between the surrounding trees, trying to keep her limbs moving. If her legs packed up on her, she was finished. It was on her second lap around the cabin that she saw something that she hadn't noticed before. It was a slanted outline of something that had been covered in snow. The shape looked familiar but Irina didn't get her hopes up as she waded through the snow to it. She began to dig, shifting the two feet of snow that had built up over the last day or so. Her hands were freezing in her gloves but she didn't care, because she was uncovering what appeared to be a cellar door with a nice big fat padlock on it.

Irina reached for her tool box with glee, grabbing her lock pick with clumsy fingers. She almost whistled as she began to work on the lock, so happy was she to be getting out of the cold.

* * *

Inside the cabin, Jane was explaining what had happened to Sophia and why she had felt it necessary to come here and almost get herself killed in the process. Maura had tears in her eyes and a hand over her mouth as Jane described Sophia's injuries.

"My God...poor Sophia..." She whispered, shocked. All those years she had resisted getting too close to the woman, for both their safeties, and what good had it done?

"She wanted me to tell you...she never gave you up. She didn't tell them where you were." Jane said softly, her hand over Maura's.

"Is she...?" Maura couldn't finish the question, but Jane understood it.

"I don't know...she was in a bad way, Maura, I...I wouldn't get my hopes up." Jane held Maura then as she cried. She thought she should feel somewhat jealous, but found all she felt was overwhelming affection for this woman who really cared for people a lot more than she let on. "It wasn't your fault, Maura." She didn't know if the doctor really believed her, but it didn't matter, Jane would make her see it in time.

"I need to call my father, he might have more of an idea what is going on." Jane nodded and settled back as Maura retrieved her phone. She looked around for her clothes and saw them neatly folded up on a bedside chair. She was feeling a little too exposed by Maura's robe and since she couldn't tempt the woman into making it worthwhile she decided she would dress herself.

It was slow going and the pain was almost unbearable, but by the time Maura had returned to the room she was pulling her BPD hoodie over her head, cursing under her breath as her body practically creaked with pain.

"I can't get through." Maura said absent-mindedly. She dialled another number and waited for it to connect, but again it went straight to voicemail. Frowning, she looked at Jane questioningly.

"Maybe he went for a walk?" Jane unhelpfully suggested with a shrug.

"Hmm, no, my father doesn't walk, he has people who do that for him." Jane's eyebrow arched, "That was an attempt at humour." Maura added with a smile.

"You might need to work on that," Jane chuckled, "I'll see if I can get through to my part – ex-partner." She said and looked around for her mobile. Maura pointed to the bedside drawer, still dialling and listening for an answer on her own phone. Jane took hers out of the drawer and checked the display. There were thirty-six missed calls, and as she scrolled down the list she realised she was in a lot of trouble.

Some were from Frost, others from Korsak and there were quite a few from her boss, Cavanaugh. But it was the twenty-four missed calls from her mother that Jane was really worried about. She resolved to leave that until later when there wasn't a crazy person running around outside. She was so not ready for a confrontation with Angela Rizzoli right now.

She dialled Frost and waited, hoping the signal out here was good enough to get through. She sighed with relief when she heard the ringing tone in her ear. She was anticipating the click as he answered, but it was an entirely different click she heard first. Her head span around to face the bedroom door, where Irina Veselovsky stood with a freshly cocked gun in her hand and a triumphant smile on her face. Maura had heard the click too, and she stood with her mobile pressed to her ear and her eyes on Irina, looking a lot calmer than Jane would have expected.

At that moment Frost answered the phone with a quick "Jane?" But she knew she couldn't answer him. It seemed like Irina hadn't seen the phone in her hand so, thinking quickly, she leaned forward as slowly as she could and slid the phone inside her boot, resting against her ankle. She hoped to God Frost could hear what was going on and wouldn't hang up.

"You're not going to find daddy on the end of that phone-call," Irina sneered, "He is already a valued guest of Mr Grady's."

"Grady?" Jane muttered, "Any relation to Daniel Grady?" She asked. If Irina was annoyed by her probing, she didn't show it, she merely looked bored.

"He _is _Daniel Grady," She explained as if talking to a child, "And he would very much like Miss Doyle's head on a plate."

Jane's head was spinning as everything fell into place. This living Daniel must be either the deceased's father or son, here to avenge his death. It was obvious, really, and had they not been dealing with mobsters, the case would have been solved weeks ago. As it was, here they were, about to be part of the grand finale scene that gangsters were so fond of. They were quite the drama queens, really.

Irina pointed her gun at Maura. "Give me the phone." She quietly commanded. Maura complied, throwing the phone across the floor until it came to rest at the woman's feet. Irina promptly stamped on it, breaking it into bits. "Now, you're coming with me."

"She's not going anywhere," Jane snarled, standing and putting herself between Irina and Maura. Her injuries were all but forgotten as adrenaline surged through her.

"I don't believe I was asking for your permission." Irina said, pointing the gun at Jane. "Perhaps a bullet in your other leg will make you see just who is in charge here."

Jane had her hands behind her back. She was delving into the deep back pocket of her cargo pants. Maura watched, wondering what she was looking for. When she pulled out a pair of handcuffs, Maura was even more confused.

Whilst Jane kept Irina talking, she locked one of the cuffs onto her own wrist, and then motioned for Maura to do the same with the other cuff, so they were cuffed together. Jane used her free hand to take the key out of her pocket and hold it enclosed in her fist.

"Maura's not going anywhere without me, so if I die you're going to have a dead weight on your hands." Jane explained, holding up hers and Maura's hands to reveal the cuffs.

Irina surged forward and clocked Jane across the face with the barrel of her gun. "You stupid bitch," She spat, "I am Irina Veselovsky, I won't be bested by a lowly cop like you've done will do nothing more than increase the body count," she snarled, "Now both of you," She jabbed the gun into Jane's aching ribs, "Up to the roof."

As Jane and Maura walked side by side, Irina behind them, the Detective heard the Doctor utter a whispered thank you in her direction. She squeezed the hand attached to hers, hoping for an opportunity to get out of this mess.

"There's no way we'll make it out of this forest in this weather." Maura stated. She made a high pitched 'oompf' as Irina jabbed her in the back.

"That's what you think, Miss Doyle." Jane heard the sound of buttons being pressed and then the muted tone of a phone ringing. "Mr Grady, I have your package here, but I'm going to need a helicopter to deliver it." There was a slight pause, then, "We will be on the roof of my current location." The phone was snapped shut and the women were prodded on again by the impatient Russian.

"In case you haven't guessed, we're going to take a little ride." Irina grinned.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 9**

From the moment Frost had answered the phone, he'd kept his ear pressed to the speaker whilst he scrabbled around for a pen and paper, where he began to jot down everything that was being said. He didn't speak and he did his best to keep everybody in the office quiet as he listened. Korsak came to stand by him and read his notes.

Frost quickly wrote _JANE IN TROUBLE _in the side margin and then went back to writing everything down. When he heard the word _helicopter _he wrote it down in capital letters and circled it. Korsak understood immediately and went to his desk to phone the guys who monitored Boston's skies. There could be a lot of helicopters in the sky at this time, of course, but if they could ground them all they'd have a chance of finding the one they needed.

Frost continued to listen but after a while all he could hear was the overpowering sound of the helicopter engine. He hoped it was heading back towards Boston, or else finding Jane would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

Riley appeared then with a strong black coffee in her hands. The areas beneath her eyes were dark with lack of sleep. Frost knew it was because she had spent the whole night at the hospital with Sophia Covas, whom had undergone surgery and was now recovering in a medically induced coma. Her injuries had been extensive, and a lesser woman might not have survived, but Sophia was a fighter through and through. Though Frost knew it would be the emotional trauma that would take the longest to heal.

He pushed the paper he was writing on towards Riley who saw the same messages Korsak had. She propelled herself into action immediately. She was a good cop, Riley, and a damned fine detective. Not to mention very beautiful. But he'd seen the way she'd smiled at Sophia and looked into the poor woman's eyes. He sighed. As good as Riley was, he missed Jane and her wicked sense of humour at his side. Jane who was just as likely to hug a bereaved widow as she was to punch any guy who showed a woman disrespect. She was also beautiful.

He was constantly surrounded by beautiful women, but unfortunately for him, none of them would ever want to date him.

* * *

Jane was still trying to think of an escape plan as the helicopter flew over the snowy tips of the trees below. She shifted her position and felt the menacing jab of Irina's gun in her side. She couldn't hear anything the woman said over the whirr of the propellers but the threat was all too clear anyway.

Maura was sat beside her, their hands still joined together by the handcuffs. Jane knew it wasn't one of her most brilliant and thought out ideas, but it had at least guaranteed she would stay by Maura's side. Until they decided to simply chop her hand off, of course. She was pretty certain Irina would have done that already if she wasn't in a rush. The woman was a proven sadist.

Jane was no expert when it came to directions but at a guess, she thought they were heading back towards Boston. Which was a relief because it would make it easier for Frost to find them, even if it was only their bodies he found.

She squeezed Maura's hand, trying to reassure her. The Doctor hadn't turned to her or tried to say a word since they'd lifted off. She continued to just stare out of the window, and Jane couldn't begin to know what was on her mind. She was worried, if she was honest. This was the most inanimate she had ever seen Maura. She looked resigned to her fate, as if she had already given up. Jane wished she could talk to her, but the sound of the helicopter and Irina's insistence on keeping her gun trained on her ribs made her think it was best to keep quiet.

She was relieved to see the tips of buildings that she recognised in the distance. With any luck they wouldn't just pass by Boston on the way to wherever they were going. Suddenly she heard Irina shouting into her mouthpiece. She couldn't understand what she was saying but it was clearly an order to the pilot. The guy up front shouted something back and then in the space of a second the gun was gone from Jane's side. Instead the Russian had it pressing into the back of the pilot's head.

A few more shouts were exchanged and then the two fell silent. Irina jabbed the gun insistently at the pilot's neck a few times but kept her eye firmly on Jane and Maura, an almost feral grin on her face. Jane knew that she would shoot the pilot if she thought it necessary. She just hoped Irina knew how to fly a helicopter if that was to happen.

* * *

Korsak returned to Frost with news that was equally good and bad. He'd managed to ground every helicopter in the vicinity of Boston except one.

"That must be our guy." Frost concluded.

"Yeah, problem is he ain't responding. We got our guys tracking the chopper but if we're not there when it lands we might be too late." Korsak explained.

Frost nodded tensely. He was itching to get out and find Jane. "We need some kind of tracking device of our own..." And then it hit him. He almost smacked himself in the face for not thinking of it sooner. His phone was lying there on his desk, the loudspeaker activated and still transmitting nothing more than engine sounds. Jane's phone would lead them to her! He immediately went to work on tracking the signal via his phone. It took an excruciating amount of time but eventually he got a lock on her location. He translated the signal to the tracking program on his computer and was relieved to see a blinking red dot moving slowly over the digital map of Boston on the screen.

Grabbing his police issue walkie-talkie, he pointed to the screen. "Korsak, I need you stay here to tell me which way to go." Korsak nodded, grabbing his own talkie. "Riley, with me." Frost barked. They were outside and in the car when Korsak came through on the talkie with their first direction. Frost careened out of the PD car park, firmly deciding he would do without speed limits today.

* * *

Jane was secretly an uneasy flier. She'd been on a plane only once in her entire life and she'd spent every minute of the journey with her eyes fixed intently on the seat in front of her and her knuckles white with the steel grip she had on the arm rests.

However, for the first time she was wishing with all her might that their time in the air would last as long as possible. Unfortunately, fifteen minutes later they were touching down on the roof of a nondescript building somewhere in what Bostonites affectionately called the _Slums. _Jane looked around, searching for something she could mention, some marker that Frost would know. It was futile, though. All the buildings around looked the same; all residential blocks that would serve better as rubble than actual habitats.

Maura, seemingly oblivious to everything, including the danger they were in, looked around curiously. As the propellers came to a stop above them, she said, "I know this area, I once came to a fundraiser here."

"Maura," Jane hissed, "This isn't exactly a sightseeing tour! Where are we?"

Irina elbowed Jane in the stomach. "Shut it, it doesn't matter where you are, because you won't be here for long." Jane cringed as her already sore ribs exploded in pain. She grunted and was surprised to feel Maura's free hand lightly rubbing the tender area. It was the first time since they'd left Maura's cabin that the Doctor had really paid her any attention, and Jane was grateful for it.

"We'll be okay." Jane whispered. There was a loud bang and Jane's head snapped around just in time to see the pilot slump forward in his seat.

"Useless asshole." Irina muttered before jumping down from the cockpit.

Then Jane and Maura were being ushered out onto the rooftop and directed to the door that would take them inside the building. They were poked and prodded by Irina constantly, the Russian snapping at them to move faster down the endless flights of stairs. They emerged out onto the deserted street where a lone car was waiting for them. Irina popped the trunk and gestured menacingly with her gun.

"Get inside!" She barked at Jane and Maura. Seeing no other option, Jane scowled at Irina as she helped Maura into the trunk. She followed suit, squeezing herself in next to Maura as best she could. Irina wasted no time in slamming the lid down onto her shoulder. She grimaced in pain but was glad to be out of the Russian's view for a change.

They were submerged in darkness, but Jane could make out the outline of Maura's face, which was just inches from hers. They were tangled up with each other, more out of necessity than a desire to be close, but Jane wasn't complaining. Maura was warm, solid, and probably the last person she was ever going to hold this close. There was nobody else she would rather be cooped up in a trunk with.

She could feel her phone digging into her ankle, but there was not nearly enough room to attempt retrieving it. She didn't know if it was still connected to Frost but it didn't matter. If he hadn't found them by now, chances were he wouldn't find them in time at all.

"Jane...I'm sorry." Maura whispered into the darkness, "I'm sorry I brought you into this..." It sounded like she was crying, and Jane's heart broke to hear the sound.

"Hey," Jane soothed, "Last time I checked, you were a hostage too." She smiled even though Maura probably couldn't see her.

"I should be the only hostage." Maura explained, "You've been caught in the crossfire, and all because of me. I'm so sorry."

Jane lifted her free hand to caress Maura's cheek. She could feel the wetness of tears there and it made her feel all kinds of emotions. Hate for their captors, deep affection for Maura, sadness at the thought that they would probably never find out if they could have had a future.

Maura seemed to be having the same thoughts. "I didn't want to leave that morning, you know. I never wanted to leave your bed...I left to keep you safe..."

"I know," Jane sighed. She pressed her lips to Maura's head and pulled the smaller woman closer against herself.

"I just wish...I wish that we could have had more time." Maura sniffled.

"Well, we got time now." Jane chuckled. "We can still get to know each other." And so they did. Jane told Maura about her time in a catholic school where there was a particular nun that she liked to call _Sister Bitcher _and the time she'd tried to escape through the canteen window to avoid getting a telling off. She told Maura about her fear of flying and a similar aversion to heights. Or rather, _falling from them. _She talked about being a rookie cop, the first time she'd arrested a criminal and the first time she'd been shot.

She talked about the future she had occasionally thought about but never really believed she'd have. One with two-point-five kids, a big family house with a white picket fence and a dog – preferably something big enough to eat Joe Friday.

In return, Maura told Jane about her lonely upbringing, about the bullies with their cruel taunts and the friends that never stayed. She talked about her teachers as if they were friends, because they were the ones she'd spent most of her free time with in both school and college. She talked about her kindergarten teacher in particular, Mrs Mulhern, whom she described as a quaint little woman with a plump figure and rosy cheeks. There was warmth in Maura's tone as she talked about how the teacher had brought in cookies and always looked after the children in her care with a friendly smile on her face.

After a while they stopped talking, and they clung to each other in silence, listening to the ominous sound of the tyres on the road as they covered more and more miles. Surely they were almost at their destination by now? Jane was about to speak her thoughts out loud when she felt Maura's lips kissing the corner of her mouth. Her initial reaction was to stop it. The trunk was hardly the most romantic of venues. But then she realised that they might not get another chance.

She turned her head so that her lips brushed Maura's, inviting the Doctor to continue. Maura took the cue and kissed Jane so softly, so sweetly that Jane wondered if she was already dead and this was heaven. She cradled Maura's face in her hand and kissed her back, savouring every single moment, learning every single detail of Maura's mouth with hers.

It was a bittersweet kiss, as wonderful as it was tragic.

* * *

It seemed like an eternity had passed before the car came to a stop. Jane wondered if they really had been driving for hours or if the circumstances were messing with her sense of time. When the lid opened she squinted as light flooded the small space. Maura was curled up against her.

"Out of the car, lovebirds, we're here." Irina grinned mockingly down at Jane. Jane scowled back as she climbed out and helped Maura do the same. She had a good look around but couldn't see anything but fields for miles around. They weren't in Boston any more. They were stood in front of a medium sized farmstead with blacked out windows and several ominous looking cars parked at its side. To the far left stood a lone building that Jane surmised had probably housed the farm hands at one time or another. Now, with its barred windows and padlocked door, it looked like a mini prison.

A man came out of the main building, his easy swagger one of a man who did this kind of thing all the time. He wasn't much surprised to see Jane. He grinned at her, showing off the gold tooth which looked a lot more tacky than he obviously thought.

"Hello, ladies, and welcome to our humble abode." His accent was faintly Mexican, and his demeanour too over-friendly for Jane's liking. "You will be our esteemed guests until Mr Grady arrives, yes? My name is Marco, and I will gladly show you to your room now." With that he gestured to a couple of brawny men who had followed him out and they moved towards Jane and Maura. They each grabbed a free arm and paraded the women to the mini-prison. Jane fought but it was no use. They were bigger and stronger and most importantly, not handcuffed together.

The padlock clicked open and the two women were shoved unceremoniously into the small space inside. The door was slammed behind them and they were plunged into half-light, the windows having been blacked out with what looked like mud. Jane squinted into the dark, quickly making out a hunched figure shivering in the corner.

"Father?" Maura was by her father's side in seconds, pulling Jane along by the cuffs. Paddy was cold to the touch and seemed to be sleeping. It was a fitful sleep, though, and as her eyes adjusted to the dark she could see an assortment of injuries on the man's face. If this was the way they treated esteemed guests, Jane would hate to see what they did with the ones they didn't like.

"Father, wake up..." Maura whispered, her expert hands checking his pulse and god knew what else. Jane looked on, feeling a little helpless. "He's dehydrated and feverish. They must not have been feeding him." Maura's voice was very matter of fact, and Jane wasn't sure if it was because she was in professional mode or if she just didn't care that much about her father.

"We need to get him warm," Jane stated, and started removing her coat. It was only when she was pulling it off her cuffed arm that she realised her mistake. "Damn it," She scowled.

"Oh, let me get that." Maura said, and promptly slipped her slim hand out of the cuffs. Jane stared at her, agog.

"You were able to get out of them all along?" She blurted.

"Of course, it would have been impractical to trap us together indefinitely." Maura explained as if it was all very obvious. "I also have this." She pulled her very stylish polo neck over her head and turned to reveal a small gun that hung in the dip of her back on a holster that was fixed just beneath her breasts. Jane was flabbergasted.

"You had a gun?! You had a gun and you didn't think it would be a good idea to use it at some point?!

"I always have a gun," Maura frowned, confused, "And if I'd used it too soon, I would never have known where to find my father."

Jane scowled. It made sense, but knowing that Maura had had the weapon on her all this time still rankled. "Have you ever shot somebody with it?" She finally asked.

"Of course not, only the mannequins at the shooting range." Maura grinned." I like to dress them up as cat burglars sometimes."

Jane was positive that she was dreaming by now. Here they were in a life or death situation and Maura was talking about shooting mannequins dressed up as cat burglars. It would be hilarious if it wasn't for the imminent threat of death just around the corner.

"Okay," She sighed, pulling the gun from its secret holster, "You better have a licence for this. Lets go over our options."

Maura stopped her a second "I am truly sorry, Jane, you were not supposed to be a part of this."

"Well I am now, might as well go all out." Jane pulled her phone from her pocket, thankful to see it still had some life in it. Her call to Frost had been disconnected and she hoped he'd heard enough to put him on their trail. Otherwise, they were going it alone. She tried calling him now but couldn't get a signal. Typical.

Maura had returned to her father and was doing her best to make him more comfortable. He was half awake now and muttering incoherently. Maura lay him on the cold stone floor and placed Jane's coat over his cold body. His face was a mess of cuts and bruises and cigarette burns. The people here had obviously had a lot of fun with him in the last few days. Cowards, all of them. Her father was a big and generally powerful man, in more ways than one. It would have taken more than one person to take him down like this.

His eyes opened then and were clear as they looked up at her, grey meeting green. Maura glanced up to see Jane pottering about their empty little prison, looking for an escape route. She turned her attention back to her father.

"Maura," He whispered, "Something...something to tell.." He was short of breath and Maura worried that the broken ribs he had suffered may have punctured a lung. He coughed and the sound was wet, unhealthy.

"Its okay...you can tell me later." She murmured, quite sure that there wouldn't be a later if they didn't get him to a hospital soon.

"No!" Paddy hissed, the fight disappearing from him as quickly as it had arisen. "Its about...about your mother." Maura was transfixed at this point, half wanting her father to conserve his strength and half needing him to continue. "Sh-she's...alive."

"Guys, we've got company heading this way." Jane was squinting through one of the small mud covered windows. She'd managed to find a spot where the mud wasn't as thick and was looking through it now. There were at least five people congregating around the door. Two were Marco and Irina, the other three she didn't know. One of them wore a business suit and walked with the authority of the man in charge. She surmised this was Daniel Grady's relative.

Quickly, she shoved Maura's gun into the back of her pants and joined Maura at Paddy's side. "Put the cuff back on." She hissed. All they had was the element of surprise, and Jane was going to utilise it to its full potential. The sound of the padlock being unlocked rang out in the small room, and then the door was pushed open.

There were no words exchanged. Marco, Irina and the two other men simply barged in and took hold of Jane, Maura and Paddy respectively. They were dragged roughly out into the open where the suited man stood waiting, a triumphant smile on his face.

"Well well well," He started, his voice as smooth as molasses, "This is him, is it? The great Patrick Doyle, hard man of Boston, Paddy Doyle the untouchable." He crouched by Paddy who had been carelessly dropped by his feet. "I think somebody was exaggerating, don't you?"

Paddy groaned, clearly not up to having a friendly chat. "What is all this about?" Maura dared to ask. Daniel Grady Sr turned to look at her. He was about fifty or so, but he still had the body of a man who looked after himself and kept himself in shape.

"Seems the whelp has a lot more to say for herself than the father." Daniel sneered. "This, my little love, is about revenge."

"We didn't kill your son." Maura said, coldly.

"Forgive me if I don't believe you, Miss Doyle, you are no doubt as treacherous as your bastard of a father." Daniel snarled. He was obviously on something, cocaine by the looks of it. He was wired and spoiling for a fight. Even if Maura could convince him of their innocence he would probably still kill them all just for the fun of it.

"We didn't kill him, Mr Grady. Your son jumped."

* * *

**Chapter 10**

_It was late, the streets were empty, and Maura was on her way down town to the offices that were still in the process of being renovated by Sophia. She was tired after a long day at the hospital and if she was honest, she was more tired of being her father's messenger girl. _

_Always she was his first call when a difficult associate needed a calming chat. He said she had an effect on people that, if used correctly, could be her most valuable asset. It was more _his _asset, as usually it was the only reason he got in touch outside their routine dinners together. She hated being used, but he was her father, and she was part of the business whether she liked it or not. _

_When she arrived at the offices, she let herself in with the key Sophia had given her and made her way up the steps to the second floor where her father's men were waiting for her. She wasn't prepared for the scene that greeted her. _

_Thomas Jenkins, her father's main go-to guy when he wanted something done violently, had Daniel Grady Jr at his feet and was kicking him everywhere mercilessly. Daniel grunted and groaned as steel-toe-capped boots connected with his spine, his kidneys and even his head. Maura had seen violence before, many times, but it never failed to shock her how one human could so easily hurt another._

"_What is going on here?!" Maura practically bellowed with all the authority she could muster. Thomas stopped what he was doing, but didn't turn to acknowledge Maura's presence. He was breathing heavily and sweating profusely despite the cold weather._

"_This...this animal is getting everything he deserves." He said, his voice dangerously low. The other men who stood around the room looked on as if this was perfectly justified. Some looked ready to jump in themselves and give the man on the floor a further beating. _

"_Would you please elaborate?" Maura asked, always willing to listen to the full story before she made a judgement call. _

_Thomas turned to her then. "Do you know where we found him? In a squat down in the fucking slums, enjoying himself with a girl who couldn't have been more than twelve. Lets just say she wasn't welcoming his fucking advances." He kicked Daniel full force in the back, letting him know just what he thought about paedophiles and rapists. Thomas had two girls of his own, one the tender age of five and the other a spirited eleven. To even imagine that somebody might do to his babies what this man was doing to that girl made his blood boil like nothing else ever would. _

"_I see..." Maura said, feeling nothing but contempt now for the man on the floor. Her brain filtered through their options. The most obvious solution would be to kill Daniel, but Maura had never before given that order and she wasn't about to start now. She wasn't God and she would never pretend to be. No, it was best to let somebody else decide his punishment, as far as she was concerned. "We'll leave him at the police station with a note." She said._

"_A note? A fucking note?! This bastard deserves to die!" Thomas was fuming. _

"_I will never choose death in a life or death decision, and whilst I am here neither will you." Maura almost snapped. Thomas stayed quiet. He would do as he was told._

"_I ain't going nowhere!" Daniel suddenly shouted and lunged for the door. He was out before anybody could grab him and running surprisingly fast for a man who had just been beaten to within an inch of his life. _Adrenaline surge, _Maura instantly thought, and then she was following Thomas and the other men as they pursued the beaten man. _

_Curiously, Daniel was heading up rather than down, and before long Maura emerged up onto the roof to find Thomas and the men looking over the edge. Daniel was nowhere in sight. She went to Thomas' side and looked down, already knowing what she would see. Daniel was broken and bleeding down below, and very obviously dead. _

_Maura closed her eyes. What a mess this life was. She had to get out of it, all of it, or it was going to drive her over the edge herself._

* * *

"Your son was a rapist, Mr Grady, and he chose to kill himself rather than face the consequences of his actions." Maura explained, her head held high. Jane wisely kept Pike's findings to herself at this point. There was no doubt that Daniel Jr had been pushed. She looked at Maura, wondering if she had actually managed to fall in love with a killer, or at least somebody who would advocate it. Because that's what she had done. Somehow, in all the craziness, she'd fallen for the smaller woman, and that was probably scarier than any life or death situation she could find herself in, including this one. She just couldn't see that side of the Doctor, no matter how hard she tried. She found herself wishing with all her heart that there was nothing to see.

Daniel Grady Sr was looking at Maura with as much contempt as he could garner. "You're a lying bitch!" He lunged for her, but Jane was quicker, slipping Maura's hand from her cuff and pushing her out of the way before taking the brunt of Daniel Sr's tackle. They fell to the floor and then all hell broke loose.

"Maura, run!" Jane shouted. Daniel was a heavy man but she managed to shove his bulk off of her and whipped the gun out of the back of her pants. She aimed it at Daniel's leg and shot him without a seconds thought. He cried out but Jane wasn't about to stop and give him a band aid. Irina, Marco, and the two men were already in action. Marco and his lackeys were heading for her whilst Irina followed Maura, who was running back into the mini-prison for God knew what reason. She couldn't let Irina get her.

She brought her attention to her pursuers. They were simultaneously reaching for their guns so there was nothing for it but to raise hers and shoot all three of them. She took chest shots and each one hit their mark. She had no badge, no authority and she was probably going to serve quite a lump for this, but she was only doing what she felt was necessary.

She ran as fast as she could to the prison, only to find Maura being held from behind by Irina who had her gun pushing painfully up into Maura's chin.

"It is a shame that things had to end this way, but perhaps I will still be paid if I finish the job for Mr Grady." She grinned that disturbing grin again and cocked her gun.

Jane kept her gun trained on Irina's face. The sadistic bitch would do it, she knew. She had to shoot first, but Maura's head was so close to Irina's she was loath to risk it. It was either that or watch Maura's head get blown apart.

Maura was looking at her with fear in her eyes, and then softly, quietly, she said, "I love you, Jane." And then there was the unmistakable sound of gun going off and the splat of blood hitting the walls. Maura dropped to the floor, Irina's half-headless body slumping down beside her. Jane spun around to see who had taken the risky shot, finding Paddy stood some way away with a sawn off shotgun in his hands, still pointing at Jane. Or rather just past her shoulder to where Irina had been standing.

A second shot rang out and Paddy fell to the floor, blood pouring from the back of his head. Daniel Grady lifted his gun in Jane's direction. There was no time to run for cover, she was probably about to die.

The sound of a police siren stopped everybody in their tracks. Suddenly a swarm of police cars flooded the area, stopping between Jane and Daniel, effectively cutting off his line of sight. Jane was relieved. She didn't have time to die right now.

* * *

"So let me get this straight. You almost got killed by a bunch of mobsters today?"

"Yes, Ma."

"You could have died and I wouldn't have known anything about it?"

" Yes Ma."

"And you did it all because you're in love with a mobster's daughter?"

"Yes, Ma! Yes, yes, yes, I'm an idiot and I'm sorry I go off and do stupid things and I'm sorry I worried you, okay?!"

"Hmm." Angela looked long and hard at her daughter. They were in the hospital where she was waiting to be given a cursory once over by a doctor, as per Cavanaugh's orders. She was fidgeting, though. Maura was in the hospital somewhere, recieving treatment for shock or some such thing. Angela had seen them both huddled together when she'd arrived, Maura being held tightly in Jane's arms. Jane had explained how Maura had just lost her father, and Angela had been suitably sympathetic at the time. Secretly she admitted to herself that a man like Patrick Doyle wouldn't be missed much by the world, and she was more than glad it had been him to suffer the consequences of his lifestyle, and not his daughter or her own.

"So what now? Are we gonna have to be entered into witness protection? Do I get to choose my own name? I've always wanted to be called Annie..."

"No, Ma, we're not going into witness protection!" Jane exclaimed, her nerves a little on edge at the moment. The adrenaline had long since worn off and her wounded calf was throbbing. She wanted to go to Maura, they needed to talk about a lot of things. Screw the doctor, there was nothing wrong with her. She stood and limped down the corridor, ignoring the protests of her mother for once. She stomped to the reception and asked for Maura's room number. Once she had it, she made her way there as fast as she could with her injured leg.

She found it and peeked through the little window. Maura was alone and reclining in the hospital bed, her eyes closed. Jane gently opened the door and entered, closing it quietly behind her. She sat on the edge of the bed and raised a hand to caress Maura's face, the skin smooth and warm and alive beneath her fingers.

"You are terrible at sneaking up on somebody," Maura murmured with a smile. She pressed her face into Jane's hand, obviously enjoying the attention.

"Oh I can be sneaky when I want to be," Jane grinned and then asked seriously, "How are you doing?"

Maura knew instantly that Jane wasn't referring specifically to her physical status. "I'm...coping, I suppose. Its very strange how unconditional love operates. I disliked my father very much, and yet I still loved him." Maura explained as if she was talking about a science experiment. "He said something to me, before we were taken out into the open. He told me that my mother is still alive."

Jane's eyebrows lifted curiously, "Really? Well that's...good, right?" she cautiously asked.

Maura chuckled, "He was severely dehydrated and malnourished, its very likely he was delusional. I'm sure I could have been a pink elephant for all he knew." Even as Maura said it, Jane detected the hint of doubt in her words, but she pressed on, "I'm very surprised he was able to stand and take that shot to save my life."

Jane tucked a honey-blonde lock of hair behind a little ear, "People do crazy things for the ones they love." she said.

"Jane..." Maura almost whispered her name, "There is undoubtedly something between us but...my father has businesses, an empire to run. Somebody has to run it..." She was giving Jane an out. Without saying it out loud, she was explaining that she would have to step into her father's shoes, become the the new face of Boston's underworld. A new Doyle to be feared. Jane had no doubt that she would succeed. There was a hard side to this soft and kind woman whom she loved. The question was, could she live with it?

"I...I guess-"

"And I'll be giving the job to the first man or woman who wants it, because from this moment on, I am out." Maura finished, a mischievous grin on her face.

Jane scowled at her and lightly slapped her on the arm. "You, Maura, are most definitely a Doyle." And then she kissed her.

* * *

**Epilogue**

"Ma! Did we really need this many balloons?!"

"It wasn't me!"

"Well then who-" Jane stepped into Maura's living room to find Maura and her brothers sitting on the carpeted floor surrounded by multicoloured balloons, each with a balloon in his or her mouth. "Guys, is this really necessary? It's only my twenty-ninth birthday!"

"Twenty-ninth? But I thought..." Tommy trailed off as both Frankie and Jane glared daggers at him. He went back to blowing up his balloon which had the number thirty emblazoned across it, his eyes shifting around warily.

"We only have a hundred, Jane," Maura said with a smile as she rose to kiss her lover hello. "We've only inflated sixty-two of them."

"I still don't understand why you're making a big deal outta this." Jane sighed, wrapping her arms around Maura's waist to keep her close.

"Statistics show that the first birthday spent together by couples is remembered for the rest of their relationship." Maura explained.

"Why, thanks for clearing that up, Dr Google." Jane chuckled, "But if the amount of beer on the table is any indication I don't think I'm going to remember this birthday at _all." _

Maura pouted and Jane kissed her pushed out bottom lip, "Just kidding." she grinned. In the six months Jane and Maura had been dating, the Detective could honestly say they hadn't had a single bad day. It was just the honeymoon period of course but still, six months was a long time in Jane's book.

Maura had been true to her word and delegated the running of her father's empire to somebody else. She wouldn't tell Jane who but she understood that. Both she and Maura had had enough of the gangster life to last them a life time, Maura especially. Jane knew that her lover often lay awake at night, thinking about her past demons and wondering how she would ever make up for them. She'd sworn to Jane that she'd never killed another person and Jane believed her, but the Doctor still felt guilty for being a part of that life.

It would take time for Maura to come around, and Jane was more than happy to be there for her in any way possible until she did. She still worked at the children's hospital as a pathologist, which honestly freaked Jane out a little bit even though she'd never say that out loud. There had been one time when Jane had visited her office and Maura had been feeling a little frisky. Jane had too, until she'd noticed the sheet covered body in the middle of the room. That had definitely put an instant dampener on Jane's libido. Of course, Jane's workplace was still in the running.

The Detective had been reinstated not long after the showdown with Daniel Grady Sr, having been cleared of corruption and hailed a hero for taking on not one, but two gangsters in one day. Jane didn't care much for that opinion, but she was ecstatic to have her job back.

"Come on," Maura interrupted Jane's reverie, tugging her along the hallway and up the stairs, "I have a surprise for you." She added mysteriously.

"Whilst all of my family are downstairs in the same house? I didn't realise you were such a rebel, Miss Doyle...but I am definitely game." Jane grinned naughtily.

Maura looked over her shoulder with a grin of her own, "Cool your jets, Detective, not that kind of surprise." Jane pouted playfully. Maura led her into the master bedroom, which Jane had come to think of as _their _bedroom in the last few months. She hadn't seen her own in weeks, and even then it was only to grab some clothes and bring them to Maura's.

"Close your eyes!" Maura ordered. She always was one for dramatics. Jane did as she was told and allowed Maura to pull her further into the room. She was left alone for a moment and heard things being moved and placed around the room. She had no idea what was happening. "All right, you may open them."

Jane opened her eyes and looked around the room. It seemed unchanged to her but Maura was beaming at her so there must be something she was missing. And then she spotted a shiny new dog basket on the floor at the end of the bed. It had a big red bow on it and was obviously what Maura had just set out for her.

"Er...its a little small for me, isn't it?" Jane raised her eyebrows in question, not really getting the joke.

"Its not for you," Maura laughed, "Its for Joe Friday." She explained.

"So let me get this straight. Your birthday present to me is a bed for my dog...?"

"Something like that.." Maura's eyes were twinkling.

"You're gonna have to explain this one to me, Maura, my detective skills just aren't up to the challenge."

Maura moved into Jane's arms, snaking her own around the taller woman's waist and looking up into the strong, angular face she had come to love. "I want you and your dog to come and live with me. Permanently."

"You want...? Wow..." Jane was dumbstruck.

Maura took the hesitation as a bad sign and pulled away. "I just thought...things were going so well and...since you already spend all your time here..." Maura trailed off as tears threatened to come to the surface.

"Maura..." Jane grasped Maura's chin gently and turned the Doctor's face to meet hers. Smiling gently, she said with all the seriousness she could muster, "If we're going to live together, there has to be one absolutely unbreakable ground rule..." Jane paused for effect, enjoying herself. "The dog is _not _sleeping in our room!" She laughed when Maura punched her none-too-gently in the shoulder. Then she found herself being pushed backwards until she fell onto the bed – her bed, hers and Maura's – and Maura was on top of her, kissing her and pulling her shirt from the waistband of her pants. "I love you." She said between kisses.

"I love you too." Jane whispered back. It was time for a private celebration, it seemed.

* * *

The party was in full swing by the time Riley arrived. There was loud music blasting out of open windows, streamers and balloons were hanging everywhere and wrapped around everything in the garden. These people certainly didn't do things by halves. She exited her car and walked around to the passenger door where Sophia Covas was already rising slowly but steadily out of her seat.

"Let me help, Soph." Riley offered, but Sophia was already up and retrieving her cane from the back seat.

"I've got it," She grinned triumphantly and the sight made Riley fall in love all over again as it usually did. Sophia had the sexiest smile and, coupled with the bright blue eyes, she was hard for any woman to resist. Riley felt lucky indeed that she was the only one those eyes ever looked at with love.

Sophia was thinking similar thoughts as she held her hand out for Riley and drew her close, entrapping her with a strong arm around her back. The last six months had been long and tiresome journey for Sophia, filled with pain both physical and emotional. It had taken a long time to accept the fact that she would never be one hundred percent the same woman she used to be, but the doctors had been certain she could at least manage a nice ninety if she tried her best.

She had been through a million ups and downs and was just coming out on the other side, and she owed a huge part of her recovery to the woman in her arms. Riley had stayed by her side as often as possible from day one. Sophia had heard the detective whispering things whilst she slept and felt safe when she was there. The mental scars had been the hardest to overcome and yet Riley had been there every step of the way, weathering the storm with her and giving nothing but support.

It hadn't meant to happen, but somewhere along the way they had fallen in love, and that had only made Sophia feel stronger and more secure. Now she was back on her feet. Using a cane, admittedly, but she was getting physically stronger by the day and she couldn't wait for the time when she would be able to show Riley just what she was made of as a lover. That thought kept her going though the endless physio sessions and sleepless nights spent dreaming of horrendous tortures.

She leaned down to kiss Riley soundly on the lips. "Love you," She uttered.

"Love you too." Riley replied with a smile.

**The end.**

**Author's note: **Thankyou to all who have read, enjoyed and reviewed my story, I appreciate every minute you have taken out of your lives to read it and leave me a little note to tell me that you like it. An author is nothing without her readers, so thankyou.

**-Archer.**


End file.
